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First downbound vessel passes through Welland-Canal

Not only is the Welland Canal at the forefront of Niagara’s transportation infrastructure, it’s an economic driver for the region and great for tourism as well, speakers at the Top Hat Ceremony in Port Colborne said Monday morning. The ceremony, held at Lock 8 Park, celebrates the first downbound vessel to pass through the lakeside city toward Lake Ontario, and the opening of the canal. Capt. Gary Kafcsak of the tug-barge combination Calusa Coast and Delaware received the ceremonial head-topper. When speeches were over, Port Colborne Historical and Marine Museum director/curator Stephanie Powell Baswick presented a more than 100-year-old beaver felt fur top hat to Kafcsak. The Calusa Coast and Delaware are part of Dann Marine Towing, a fifth generation family-owned and operated tugboat company, which manages a fleet of 22 ocean and coastal tugboats as well as inland push boats. The captain and his crew were bound for Hamilton with a load of liquid asphalt from Detroit. “This is a big honour to do this. I love it,” Kafcsak said of the ceremony. “I appreciate what the canal and Canada has done for us, to keep us moving products and working. It’s a very well-maintained canal. We’re grateful to be working in these waters,” he said. Jim Wheeler, manager of canal services for the seaway, said Monday’s ceremony marked the start of the 189th year of operation of the canal. http://www.wellandtribune.ca/2017/03/20/first-downbound-vessel-passes-through-canal