Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition

Check out the redevelopment of Downtown Akron's Lock 3 in just one minute ?? #AkronCivicCommons #ReimaginingCivicCommons #AkronOhio

The Summit Lake Trail in Akron connects the east and west neighborhoods of Summit Lake and visitors to the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, promoting equitable access to community spaces and encouraging growth in the area. The project features a 130-foot bridge that connects the trail loop and provides a scenic view of the lake and was overseen by Environmental Design Group. The trail's official unveiling was celebrated on September 26, 2023.

We are excited to announce our 2025 Canal Boat Captain's Ball Honorary Captain: Laura Duda, Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company! Our annual Captain's Ball honors a local leader with exemplary commitment to bettering their communities within the Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area. Learn more about our honorary Captain, Laura Duda on our website at https://lnkd.in/eX-bfmci and stay tuned for our Virtual Auction that supports equitable, accessible and welcoming parks, trails and public spaces, April 30 - May 7!

The Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition is honored to announce that we have been selected to receive a 2025 Destination Development grant award from the Akron/Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau. This grant will enable us to continue to communicate and promote our Akron Civic Commons initiatives between Lock 3 Park and Summit Lake. This grant will support periodic construction update videos, a complete time lapse and promotional content for the redevelopment of the Summit Lake NorthShore starting in spring 2025. We are grateful for the Akron/Summit CVB's continued support of our projects that reimagine our community's parks, trails and public spaces to be more equitable, accessible and welcoming for all residents and visitors along the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. #ReimaginingCivicCommons #AkronCivicCommons #AkronParks #TowpathTrail

We are excited to welcome Saydee Hodgson to the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition as an Event Planning Intern this spring! Saydee is a senior pursuing a degree in Public Relations and Marketing at the University of Mount Union. She will be assisting our Development Team to plan and execute our spring and summer fundraising events that support our work on the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail and connector trails in Summit, Stark and Tuscarawas County.

We congratulate Tuscarawas County Commissioner Chris Abbuhl on his 20 years of public service and all of his accomplishments during his tenure, and we are grateful for his advocacy for the extension of the Ohio & Erie Canal #TowpathTrail and robust system of connector trails in #TuscarawasCounty.

It's our final Lock 3 Park Project update, but the hard hats are no more! Thank you to everyone who has followed along with us on the journey of redeveloping Lock 3 in downtown Akron to become more equitable, accessible and welcoming for all residents and visitors. Dan Rice, our President & CEO along with Kathryn DeMuesy and NeShaunda Lockett of Anser Advisory loop around the completed park to show some of the recently completed highlights of the space: The ice skating rinks, Maynard Performance Pavilion, and donor signage! We are incredibly honored and humbled by the support of our partners and donors in making this project a reality. If you haven't yet visited the reimagined space, we encourage you to check out the ice skating, ice bumper cars, and igloos this winter. Get excited for the first performance on the Maynard Performance Pavilion in 2025! The hard hats may be hung up for this project, but follow along with us for future updates on the Summit Lake NorthShore Park! ?? #ReimaginingCivicCommons #Lock3 #AkronOhio

On November 23, we celebrated the completion of Lock 3 with the City of Akron, Akron Civic Commons 2.0 donors and partners with a reception and ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Maynard Performance Pavilion. The redevelopment of Lock 3 Park is a major accomplishment for the resident-led Akron Civic Commons 2.0 and a destination for residents and visitors along the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail in downtown Akron. "We are both humbled and honored to work with the neighborhood residents, the City of Akron, the Knight Foundation, and all of our donors to develop an accessible, equitable and welcoming park for everyone," noted Dan Rice, President & CEO of the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition. “We are ushering in a new era for downtown Akron with the transformation of Lock 3,” said Mayor Malik. “This park represents the collaborative work and passion of so many Akron residents, organizations, and donors to create a true destination spot right in the heart of our downtown corridor." Lock 3 will reopen to the public at the City of Akron's Grand Reopening Celebration and Welcome Santa Parade this Friday, November 29! #ReimaginingCivicCommons #AkronCivicCommons #DowntownAkron

When young people engage with their communities in ways that matter to them, the benefits are compelling, ranging from a stronger sense of belonging and lower rates of depression to lower levels of criminal behavior and substance use. Public space offers powerful avenues to connect young people to civic life in their communities— and many organizations and cities are innovating to meaningfully involve young people in community life. Read about how Akron's Summit Lake Ambassadors are stewarding their neighborhood park and creating pride of place for their community assets. #ReimaginingCivicCommons #AkronCivicCommons

Apex Skin is the presenting sponsor of our upcoming Towpath Freedom 5k on Saturday, November 9. Apex Skin serves our Northeast Ohio community and United States veterans through medical, surgical and aesthetic dermatology. Founder of Apex Skin, Dr. Jorge Garcia-Zuazaga is a Veteran himself. To combine his two passions of dermatology and military service, he created The Purple Heart Project, which offers free scar revisions to Veterans injured in active duty. He understands that this can help heal more than just the skin, and can go a long way to improving confidence and happiness for deserving veterans. Take part in our 2024 Apex Skin Towpath Freedom 5k supporting local veterans and the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail: https://lnkd.in/dRth6KsJ