Nominations are being accepted for the 12th Annual Key to the Locks Award. Nomination forms are available at The History Center, 215 Niagara Street, Lockport, NY 14094, or download key-to-locks-nomination-form-17 Please mail or return nominations to the History Center. The deadline is March 10, 2017.
The Annual Key to the Locks Award was established by Craig Bacon with assistance from Doug Farley in 2006. The first award was presented as a part of the celebrations that twinned the cities of Lockport and Thorold, Ontario. After the initial year, the award was expanded to honor those in the community to recognize persons in Niagara County who exemplify the community spirit or promote the heritage or preservation of the historic Erie Canal.
The 2016 Key to the Locks Award was given to Joel Beyer for his work supporting canal education and preservation.
Previous winners have included Dianne Koplas for encouraging historical education and tourism; artist Joe Whalen for a lifetime of showcasing the canal through his paintings; Jeffery Degnan for promoting the Erie Canalway Corridor, and Rosemary Bernard for educational programs at the Royalton Hartland Community Library.
The 12th Annual Key to the Locks Award ceremony will take place at 3:30pm on Saturday, May 13, 2017 in the Erie Canal Discovery Center, 24 Church Street in Lockport.