CAMILLUS — Twelve stunning images rose above a competitive field of 230 entries to win the 17th Annual Erie Canalway Photo Contest.
Judges selected winning photos in four contest categories, along with 12 honorable mentions.
Winners hail from across the Canalway Corridor and remind us that the NYS Canal System is a state and national treasure worthy of preservation and celebration.
“These remarkable images showcase the beauty, history, and diversity of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. We appreciate everyone who entered and shared the places, scenes, and activities they love along the New York’s extraordinary canals.” said Bob Radliff, executive director of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.
One winner and two honorable mentions hail from Central New York.
In the Canal Communities category, Jen Bernhardt of Camillus earned third place with a piece titled “Nightfall Magic.”
Winning images can be viewed online and will be featured in the 2023 Erie Canalway calendar. The popular calendar will be available for free at libraries, visitor centers, and by request beginning in December.
“I send my heartfelt congratulations to the winners of this year’s annual photo contest, and my thanks to all of the exceptional photographers, amateur and professional alike, who participated,” New York State Canal Corporation Director Brian U. Stratton said. “This year’s photos help us showcase the remarkable sights and recreational resources along the canal system. As we approach the bicentennial of the Erie Canal’s completion, they are a wonderful reminder of the Erie Canal’s legacy, impact, and presence in New York, both today and through generations of our history.”
Winning photos may be viewed at eriecanalway.org/gallery/photo-contests.
The U.S. Congress recognized the national significance of the Erie Canal to the growth and development of the Nation by designating the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor in 2000. The Corridor spans more than 500 miles across the full expanse of upstate New York and includes the present-day Erie, Cayuga-Seneca, Oswego, and Champlain canals and their historic alignments. It is home to more than three million New Yorkers and host to millions of visitors each year. The National Heritage Corridor, in partnership with the National Park Service, collaborates with a variety of federal, state, and local partners to preserve New York’s extraordinary canal heritage, to promote the Corridor as a world class tourism destination, and to foster vibrant communities connected by the waterway. For visit eriecanalway.org.
