By CRAIG FREILICH

CANTON -- A downtown whitewater park, campgrounds along the Grasse River, and more local fishing sites could bring more visitors and economic vitality to the community, according to Canton’s economic developers.

“There is a good deal of public support,” said Linda McQuinn, town economic developer. “The community is in favor, but they do have some concerns about environmental aspects especially for fishing. But the community is excited that the use of the river is expanding.”

Aside from the efforts of Mayor Michael Dalton and the Board of Trustees, McQuinn, and village Development Director Leigh Rodriguez, much of the drive for the plans is coming from the volunteers on the Economic Development Steering Committee.

The volunteers are “representatives from a consortium of those who contribute to development in Canton -- village and town government, businesses, educators, and other leaders,” Rodriguez said.

With an eye on several rounds of grant funding approaching, Rodriguez said, “we’re ready for a big influx of money just to make it happen.”

McQuinn says that waterfront development is at the top of her list for action “because that’s where we’re going to receive the greatest return in terms of CFA (Consolidated Funding Application) opportunities” from the annual rounds of competition for large state development grants.

In addition to the whitewater park, campgrounds and other recreation sites, grants could fund marketing of the river in conjunction with nearby communities to draw tourists and locals alike, she said.

“But it depends on what funding might be available and how you make that happen,” McQuinn said.

Whitewater Park

Her priority is funding for the design and then pursuing the permits for the whitewater park for paddlers downtown.

It would be a low-impact whitewater park, maybe with a wading pool on shore, all “family-friendly in keeping with the need to provide something downtown for people who want to get into the water. There is Taylor Park, but we need something downtown for people here and visitors,” she said.

“It will not be like Stone Valley” – a serious high-level whitewater venue for experienced paddlers. Instead, it would feature “much less impact” and be family-friendly.

“We would like to get the design refined and then submit it for review,” McQuinn said. A recent feasibility study indicates the idea can be a success.

Obtaining the right design firm is key, she said, and the village and town boards are exploring that. The money for that “will probably be a 50-50 cost share between grant funds and local share, which we are exploring in this grant cycle,” she said.

Representatives of Canton town and village and other Grasse River communities such as Colton, Russell and Madrid are examining sites for other recreation facilities such as campgrounds to draw tourists and amuse locals, too.

Because there are no campsites nearby to accommodate visitors seeking them, “we’ve been sending a lot of people out of the area,” McQuinn said. The Canton Chamber of Commerce has had to tell people who ask about camping that there isn’t much to choose from here, McQuinn said.

“I’ll be developing some concepts for potential locations and a budget for design and construction for the CFA process. I’m working on the application now.” The application deadline is July 29 this year.

A meeting between town and village boards will set criteria for “how they want to proceed and how they want us to pursue the project.”

Marketing the ‘Blueway’

At recent meeting of Grasse River development stakeholders from up and down the Grasse, project ideas were discussed along with marketing the whole river as a recreation destination through a “blueway” designation tying river communities together.

Fishing on the river was high on the interest scale of many people from Grasse River communities at that meeting, McQuinn said.

“They were all interested in promoting fishing, but also preserving and protecting the river,” she said The is a desire that “the pristine beauty will be there long-term for people who live in Canton and want to fish it.

“If I had one singular sport that people have mentioned about this river it is fishing. It can attract a great many people to Canton” and the other communities hoping to promote recreation on the river.

McQuinn said members of the committee that met recently will begin developing some ideas. A time and place will be set for another meeting to plot out some of those plans.

That meeting will be “for everyone who uses or is interested in the river to be heard and have comments recorded,” McQuinn said.