More than 200 years after the Erie Canal opened to the public, its influence on the economic, cultural, and agricultural development of New York state – and the nation – remains profound.

Tour boat captain Tammee Poinan Grimes will discuss the canal’s history and its impact on the Keuka Outlet during a presentation on Wednesday, March 25, at 4 p.m. in Norton Chapel on the campus of Keuka College. The event is free and open to the public.

Keuka College to Host Erie Canal Presentation
The March 25 talk will highlight the historic waterway’s bicentennial.

As captain and director of the Monroe County–based tour boat, the Colonial Belle, Capt. Grimes brings firsthand knowledge of the canal to her presentations. Her involvement in several canal-related organizations – including serving as president of the Canal Society of New York State and the New York State Tour Boat Association, and as chair of the Canal New York Marketing & Business Alliance – keeps her closely connected to developments along the canal’s approximately 350-mile route.

In addition to the public talk, Capt. Grimes will meet with students in the College’s Honors Program during a separate classroom session. The visit is part of the program’s ongoing study of the Erie Canal and its lasting role as a fiscal, geographic, and cultural force in New York state since its opening two centuries ago.