Last week, on the 196th anniversary of the Gov. DeWitt Clinton’s opening of the Erie Canal, several Canal and NYPA employees joined with Andy Kitzmann of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor and seasoned boat builders at the Buffalo Maritime Center as volunteer “Apprentices for a Day” for the ongoing Seneca Chief replica construction project. We were also assisted by Jennifer Dunning from Governor Hochul’s office and Mo Sumbundu from Empire State Development.
The full-scale, historically correct replica of the canal boat used by Gov. Clinton during his 1825 “Wedding of the Waters” journey from Buffalo to New York Harbor, is taking shape inside the Longshed building at Buffalo’s Canalside district. The Canal Corporation has previously provided a pair of CFA grants ($270,000) toward the project, which is scheduled for completion in 2023.
We hope to plan a similar team-build exercise for the spring, when the boat should be much further along and additional opportunities for volunteers to contribute. Kudos to Andy, Rebecca, Tara, Nick, Shane, Jenn, Mo and others for rolling up their sleeves and exercising all safety protocols to get the job done!
