Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition

📢 Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition Names Catherine Timko as President and Chief Executive Officer The Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition (OECC) has named Catherine Timko as its President and Chief Executive Officer effective May 26, 2026. Timko will succeed Dan Rice, who served as the organization's founding Executive Director for 32 years. “We are thrilled that Catherine is going to be our next President and CEO,” said Bret Treier, board chair. “She is a well-proven leader with an extensive background in non-profit organizations and a particular passion for the mission of OECC and continuing its legacy of successful development of the Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area, Towpath Trail and related public parks and spaces.” Timko most recently served for over 16 years as Executive Director of the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center, reporting to a 19-member board of directors and leading 32 employees of that nature education organization. She previously served as Ohio, division, and regional development director for The Trust for Public Land over eight years, following several years in a development role with Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens. #TowpathTrail #AkronOhio #Canalway #Nonprofit #Leadership

And that's a #wrap on 2025! This year, we made big strides in cooperation with our community partners, residents and supporters for developing and stewarding our trails, parks and public spaces. We are one year closer to completing 101 miles of the Ohio & Erie Canal #TowpathTrail by 2030 ✨ Happy New Year, see you in 2026! 👋🏼

Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail Announcement!🎉 Today, Governor DeWine and Ohio Department of Transportation announced nearly $52 million in grants to be awarded over the next four years to improve safety for bicycle and pedestrian traffic through the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP). The City of Dover, City of New Philadelphia, and Tuscarawas County Government all received generous grants in partnership with the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition to add an additional 7 miles of trail, ensuring the completion of the 101-mile Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. We are extremely grateful to Governor DeWine, Ohio Department of Transportation, State Senator Al Landis, and State Representative Jodi Salvo for their incredible support for the Ohio & Erie Canalway and Towpath Trail. Special thanks to City of New Philadelphia Mayor Joel Day, City of Dover Mayor Shane Gunnoe, Tuscarawas County Commissioner Kristin Zemis, County Commissioner Bill Ress, Jr., Commissioner Mitch Pace and Tuscarawas County Park Department Director Jesse Rothacher for your relentless perseverance and commitment. Working together, we are creating a legacy for future generations to experience and enjoy the great resource that is the Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area and Towpath Trail! #TowpathTrail #OhioErieCanalway #OhioErieCanal #OhioTrails #TuscarawasCounty #TuscLive #TuscCVB #TravelTusc #TuscParks #HeritageTrails #NationalHeritageArea

The Ohio & Erie Canalway Fishing Derby 🎣 is our annual youth outreach program where we invite Akron Public School third and fourth grade students and their families to partake in an afternoon of fishing and environmental education along the Ohio & Erie Canal 🐟 This program is 100% free for students and their families, and they are provided fishing poles and bait that they get to take home with them, and are entered into raffles for bicycles and extra fishing gear. Individual donations and corporate sponsorships allow us to keep community programs like these completely free! Consider sponsoring students or a whole classroom by making a contribution online at onecau.se/oecc2026 or contacting our office at (330) 374-5657. #TowpathTrail #Canalway #AkronOhio #FishingDerby

Bidders ahoy! ⚓️ Our Canal Boat Captain, Ron Paydo reminds supporters to bid high and bid often before the Captain’s Ball Virtual Auction closes TONIGHT at 8:00 p.m. EST. Your support is important and appreciated, now more than ever as we work tirelessly to complete 101 miles of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail by 2030. Get your final bids in tonight by 8:00 💥 things get a little competitive! Onecau.se/oecc2026 #TowpathTrail #VirtualAuction #Canalway #AkronOhio

The 2026 Canal Boat Captain’s Ball ⚓ raises essential funds for the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition’s mission to preserve, develop and enhance the the historical, natural and recreational resources along the Ohio & Erie Canalway and Towpath Trail. Our annual Fishing Derby Fund-A-Need calls on our community to support environmental stewardship and youth education by making a contribution towards our 2026 Ohio & Erie Canalway Fishing Derby 🎣 The Ohio & Erie Canalway Fishing Derby is an educational “hands-on” event for inner city school age children that teaches them a new hobby and the importance of environmental stewardship. The fishing derby is entirely free and we also provide refreshments, raffle prizes and interpretive programming. The Fishing Derby introduces a recreational and educational activity to inner-city children that may develop as a lifelong experience; promotes resource conservation and cultivates new stewards for the conservation of the natural, historical and recreational resources along the Ohio & Erie Canalway; provides a quality family event and an opportunity to children to spend an educational experience along the Ohio & Erie Canalway and Towpath Trail; and provides inner city school age children with an opportunity to learn about the history of the Ohio & Erie Canal. Consider making a contribution towards the Ohio & Erie Canalway Fishing Derby coming up on Wednesday, May 20, 2026 at onecau.se/oecc2026 #AkronOhio #Canalway #TowpathTrail #FishingDerby

Hear from President & CEO Dan Rice and Board Chair Bret Treier about our upcoming park and trail projects in the Ohio & Erie Canalway! Your support helps make these milestones happen, like developing the 9 remaining miles of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail and dedicating the new Summit Lake NorthShore Park with Akron residents 🎉 We need your support now more than ever! We continue our fundraising goals to complete all 101 miles of the Towpath Trail and to help local cities, towns and villages to develop connector trails to their communities. Participate in our Captain’s Ball Virtual Auction, now through May 11 at Onecau.se/oecc2026 (🔗 link in bio) #TowpathTrail #AkronOhio #Canalway #VirtualAuction

Our 2026 Canal Boat Captain's Ball Virtual Auction begins on May 4! ⚓ This year we honor Ron Paydo, Akron/Canton Market President of Huntington Bank for his support of the Towpath Trail and equitable public parks and spaces. 🌿 Get ready for our Virtual Auction held May 4 through May 11, with over 100 incredible gift baskets and experience packages to bid on. Head over to https://onecau.se/oecc2026 now to preview the auction! 🎉 Link in bio! All proceeds support the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, connector trails and public spaces. #VirtualAuction #Nonprofit #TowpathTrail

Get ready - Our Canal Boat Captain's Ball Virtual Auction is one week away! ⚓ Create an account/sign in and sign up to receive text or email notifications for the virtual auction, sailing between May 4 and May 11 at onecau.se/oecc2026 (link in bio!) There are over 100 incredible gift baskets and experience packages that await you - From a Rise and Shine Tour at the Akron Zoo 🦁 Cleveland Cavaliers tickets 🏀 a Getaway to Chautauqua Lake, New York 🧳 an Aventon Level 2 electric bicycle 🚴🏼‍♀️ or gas for a year from MAPCO - The sky is the limit 🌌 (except for those who bid on a Ride on the Goodyear Blimp!) All proceeds support the Ohio & Erie Canalway, Towpath Trail, connector trails and public parks 🌿 #TowpathTrail #Canalway #AkronOhio #Nonprofit #VirtualAuction

Summit Lake NorthShore Park is on budget and on track to open this spring! 🎣🛶 There's been great construction progress over the last few months despite the challenging winter: - All of the park structures are currently in place and work continues on the interiors of the pavilion and boat house like electrical, plumbing and drywall - The 80-foot fishing pier is also fully installed, providing a complete view of the lake from north to south - The park's layout is taking shape with the addition of curbing and concrete pathways, and crews are preparing to install the asphalt parking lot in the coming weeks 🎬 Head to the link in our bio to watch the latest update or visit akronciviccommons.org/stories A special thanks to the Akron Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau for their support for our hard hat update videos, and to the Cavanaugh Building Corporation for providing the updates and their hard work on the development of the Summit Lake NorthShore Park👷‍♀️

The 2026 Downtown Akron Sakura Festival is happening now through 7 pm from Mustill Store near the Northside District to Park East on the south side. Enjoy the cherry blossoms along the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail while they last 🌸 as rain expedites the falling of the flowers. 📷: Kayla Edwards (Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition)

Spring has officially sprung! 🌸 While the weather forecasts are a bit unpredictable this time of year, we can always count on the blooms of the hundreds of cherry blossoms that line the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail from Ohio & Erie Canal Park to the Mustill Store Museum on the Northside. The annual Downtown Akron Sakura Festival will take place this Saturday, April 4 with live performances, guided history tour, bike ride, crafts and art demonstrations, tea ceremony, tastings, and much more! 📷: Anthony Boarman