Erie Canal Commentary

Our journey down the Erie Canal was bitter-sweet. Sweet because of the charming towns and pretty scenery, the friendly folk who welcomed us, and the utter sense of peace and relaxation that we enjoyed. But there is a sadness here too and a sense of loss.

While the historical plaques at the little welcoming centres boasted of past greatness, the present here tells a very different story. The streets of these little towns are strangely deserted. Where are the people? Many of the old shops are architectural gems thoughtfully laid out around grassy town squares by founding fathers, but the windows are empty and more shops are shut down than open. Where is the business? Several of the villages we visited easily held the potential to rival anything that Niagara-on-the-Lake could offer, but it wasn’t happening. There were no tourists, no boaters, and only a handful of locals struggling to hang on. When we asked them what had happened we were told the same story in town after town.

The manufacturing plants and spin-off businesses which had once brought life and prosperity to the area left several decades ago for cheaper labour in the South. With nothing to take their place and keep the economy alive, the towns began to die. Ironically those same businesses that moved South have now closed down there too and are currently operating off-shore.

In the bigger scheme of things, we are all aware of the tremendous amount of out-sourcing of jobs and industry that is endemic to the entire North American economy. And when I look at these sad little lifeless towns, I wonder if they foreshadow our own future. Is this the canary in the mineshaft?