Buffalo's Opportunity

Like everyone else, they came through here. They came by the Erie Canal and through the Commercial Slip. This was a place that witnessed the passage of more immigrants than Ellis Island did. If we are looking for an anchor for the culture and history of the canal system, if we are looking for an anchor to tell this story, this is the place. This is one of those real places.

Whatever happens there needs to set very high standards. It can’t be mediocre. It has to be great. Which is to suggest that there may be some other places to put some of the things now contemplated for the immediate site. They don’t necessarily have to go right there.

Remember, it’s not just the slip. It’s the area around the slip, the foundations, whatever else is there. We don’t want to slow down this development. But there remains a great deal of archaeological work to be done. We don’t even know all of what’s down there. So, you should take the time you need to find out and make sure that you realize the full potential of what is clearly a very rich site.

Before the Civil War there was a tradition of the American Grand Tour. People would come from Europe to see America and make the Grand Tour. There were a number of “musts” on this tour, the Hudson River, Lake George and the Adirondacks, were on the tour, and the White Mountains. And of course, Niagara Falls and the Erie Canal.

Niagara Falls remains one of the most visited sites in North America. The numbers are not so reliable, but it’s right up there with Disney World, the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. The question you face is how do you re-establish the connections that existed one hundred and fifty years ago between visits to the Falls and visits to the Canal.

Of course, in those days, people traveled on the Canal to get to Niagara Falls. But they also saw the Canal in its own right and appreciated it for the engineering marvel that it was. You need to figure out how to connect the Falls and the Canal again. Because it is a real place with great power, you can do it.

It is a rare opportunity in American civic life to have this kind of civic dialogue. What you are doing is truly impressive. I’ve been overwhelmed by the number of people who are here, the level of their interest, the depth of their concerns, and the quality of their sensibilities. This is something we need more of in our country and you are setting an example for all Americans.

You are also lucky to have a citizen like Kevin Gaughan in your midst. Sometimes it takes an intensely committed individual like Kevin, someone with great drive and imagination and perseverance to pull something like this together. We all owe Kevin Gaughan a great debt of gratitude.

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