BALDWINSVILLE — The village of Baldwinsville is asking local businesses to weigh in on how canal season affects their livelihoods.
At the Feb. 18 meeting of the Baldwinsville Village Board of Trustees, Mayor Dick Clarke said there has been some discussion about the possibility of a shortened season for the state canal system.
According to a Feb. 4 statement from the New York Power Authority, which governs the New York State Canal Corporation, the state’s canal system is expected to be open for business as usual.
“As in previous years, the canal system is projected to operate mid-May through mid-October and no changes are expected to the normal hours of operation,” said NYPA President and CEO Gil C. Quiniones.
Clarke said the Canal Corporation wants to gauge the canal’s impact on local economies.
“I think the restaurants, Kinney’s, the hardware store, they probably all see people from the boats on a regular basis, and we’d like to be able to tell the state it has a significant impact on several of our businesses,” Clarke said.
The Greater Baldwinsville Chamber of Commerce, which is a member-funded organization independent from any municipality, sent out an email Feb. 18 asking business owners to contact the mayor.
“If you own/manage any business in Baldwinsville that benefits from canal traffic, please email a statement about your business along with an estimate of how much you typically make from that canal traffic to Mayor Dick Clarke at [email protected],” read the email.
In canal-adjacent news, Clarke said he is hoping Paper Mill Island can host events safely later this year if the COVID-19 pandemic lifts.
Clarke said Lysander Town Supervisor Bob Wicks told him that he knows a boxing promoter who would like to hold an amateur boxing event on the island. Clarke said promoter Chuck Chao of Creative Concerts, which has an exclusive agreement with the village for musical events on Paper Mill Island, has also expressed hope about returning to the island.
“People are looking ahead. That’s a positive sign for me that they’re interested,” Clarke said.
