Not to nitpick, but now that Canalside is firing on so many cylinders, it’s a wonder that the warm weather activities don’t kick off a bit earlier. For the most part, the weather has been conducive for all sorts of outdoor activities for a few weeks. But when you take a look at the canal paddle boats, they are covered up and there is almost no activity to be seen at this new section of the waterfront. There’s no beer garden open on the bridge, no concessions to be found, no remote sailboats floating around, and no people enjoying all of the amenities that should be available at this point.
This coming weekend, this section of Canalside awakes from its slumber, and once again there will be lively activity out on the canals, and along the towpaths. To me, I think that the opening of this parcel of Canalside should be weather dependent, not based on a calendar date.
Earlier today, people were walking around the perimeter of the site, wondering why nothing was happening. It was a beautiful day and anyone visiting this destination would have been left scratching their heads. Seeing that we tend to have longer winters than most other cities, one would think that we would want to take full advantage of the warm weather as soon as it breaks.
I’m sure that there are a number of considerations that must be taken in order to get this phase of Canalside up and operational each year. But just think of the visitors who come down on a sunny spring day expecting the site to be open only to have to wait until a predetermined opening date. I’m aware that weather can be unpredictable, and I’m sure that the Memorial Day opening day is merely precautionary, but it just seems like we’re missing out on some big opportunities for people to enjoy the amenities that look like they’re raring to go. After all, this is not a summer camp, it’s a city.