This year marks the beginning of the second decade of the annual Canal Clean Sweep – the spring cleaning of the NYS Canal System and Canalway Trail.
This year’s event is planned for April 22 through 24 and volunteer groups and individuals are invited to participate.
“The Canal system and Canalway Trail are two of upstate New York’s most incredible assets,” says Brian Stratton, Director of the New York State Canal Corporation. “Canal Clean Sweep is a wonderful opportunity for everyone to show their pride in the Canals and Canalway Trail by pitching in to keep them beautiful.”
More than 100 Canal Clean Sweep events are scheduled along the 524-mile long Canal system. The event also ties in to the celebration of Earth Day, April 22.
Locally, many groups are spearheading clean-up efforts and volunteers are welcome to join them.
David Ross of the Can-Ale Bike Club says the group will meet at 9 a.m. on April 23 at the Adams Basin lift bridge parking lot.
Ross says the group has been participating since 2011 and cleans the area from Adams Basin to Trimmer Road, completing a general clean-up and inspecting the condition of the trail.
“We rake out a park, pick up sticks and fallen tree limbs and pick up trash,” Ross says.
His group has noticed that the amount of garbage picked up each year is actually decreasing. “There’s not as much trash as in the past,” Ross says, “people are getting more respectful.”
Those interested in helping Ross can contact him at daver@riversidegroup.com or by calling 615-7168.
The Cloverleaf Square Dance Club is also involved in cleaning-up along the canal in the Town of Sweden. Organizer Jane Avery says the group will meet at 9 a.m. on Friday, April 22 at the Sweden-Walker Road canal bridge.
“We have been cleaning that particular section of the canal path since 2010,” she says. “We meet on one day each month from April through October. We pick up any trash we can find under the canal bridge and then we go over the canal and walk the mile-long section west of the bridge. When we get to the end of our section, we turn around and head back to the bridge. We always have a good time talking and walking and sometimes we ride our bikes instead of walking.”
Cloverleaf Square Dance members typically follow-up their clean-up activities by going out to breakfast, lunch or ice cream, depending on the time of day, Avery says.
“All of us are active Square Dancers and would love to have people join us cleaning the canal and maybe even taking lessons in the fall to learn to Square Dance,” Avery adds.
Students at The College at Brockport, WEMOCO students and other groups are also taking part in the Canal Clean Sweep locally.
In Albion, the public is welcomed to join Stop Polluting Orleans County for the Albion Canal Clean Sweep. Volunteers gather at 12 p.m. on April 23 at the Village of Albion Fire Department.
The Kendall Masonic Lodge is organizing a Canal Sweep in the Village of Holley on April 23 at 9 a.m. Volunteers meet at the Gazebo in Holley.
Volunteer efforts during the Canal Clean Sweep will help to prepare the Canal for the upcoming navigation season which is scheduled to begin May 1, weather permitting. For more information on volunteering and registration, visit www.ptny.org/events/canal-clean-sweep and use the Event Finder Map to find a local event.
