Published: February 20, 2009 12:39 am      

Canal Place

The idea of rewatering a section of the C&O Canal in Cumberland is an idea of long standing, and it was a good idea, but at this point it seems to be an idea whose time has not yet come.

Canal Place Preservation and Development Authority officials have been taking a realistic look at the past, present and future of one of Allegany County’s main tourism attractions.

This includes the realization that canal boat rides may not be the answer to drawing visitors to Cumberland.

Authority chairman Andy Vick pointed out recently that the idea has several drawbacks, chief among them the cost it would take to rewater the canal. For rewatering to proceed, it may be necessary to build a tunnel that will bypass an area where railroad tracks cross the proposed canal route. That would require money the authority is hesitant to spend. Money is tight, and other ways to cut spending are also being explored.

There are also concerns about the appearance of the facility and the fact that there are other places closer to the metropolitan area where people can go to take canal boat rides.

That fits in with what Marci Ross from the Maryland Office of Tourism development told the authority last week. She said the success of Canal Place will depend in large part upon selling the potential consumer on things that people can find here, but are lacking elsewhere. For Canal Place to work, it must have something not readily available in other places.

“We are no longer in the area of ‘build it and they will come,” she said.

One good thing Canal Place is doing is taking a look at what activities have been successful, where they have been successful and why they have been successful. In short, find out what visitors want.

This is a good, common sense approach. See what works and build on that.

And, who knows? Someday the idea of rewatering the canal for boat rides may be the right one.