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campaigning for inland waterways worldwide since 1995

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World Canals Conferences

Every year a World Canals Conference is hosted, alternating between North America and Europe (pending expansion to other continents), to bring together Governmental, Technical, Commercial and Leisure Organisations interested in inland waterway developments. Speakers and delegates come from all parts of the world to publicise their activities and to meet and learn from the experiences of others.

Serbia, September 21-27, 2009

Bezdan Lock, currently being restored, giving access to the 600km of canals and canalised rivers in Vojvodina

The Vojvodina Assembly, the Public Water Management Company Vode Vojvodine and Danube Propeller invite professionals and advocates of inland waterways to register for the 22nd World Canals Conference in Serbia on September 20-27 2009, covering plenary sessions in Novi Sad and tours to the Iron Gate and Vojvodina waterways. The conference is supported by IWI and by other organisations in Serbia, including the Geographical Institute 'Jovan Cjivic'. The overall theme will be raising awareness and improving the economic performance of inland waterways, especially in Eastern Europe and Asia, two world regions which have not previously been covered by this annual event. It will be a unique opportunity to discover the diversity of the inland waterway heritage of the Middle Danube Region. 'East and West will meet'. This is one of the ideas conveyed by the conference logo. Participants are expected from China, which is preparing its bid for the Grand Canal to become a World Heritage site, and Korea, where an important new canal is being built. http://www.wcc2009serbia.org/

Past events ...

Kingston, Ontario, Canada, September 14-17, 2008	The 2008 conference featured Canada's Rideau Canal, highlighting canal management, stewardship and heritage presentation issues. The Rideau Canal and its Kingston Fortifications are unique national historic sites built for strategic military purposes at a time when Great Britain and the USA vied for control of the North American continent. The Rideau Canal was constructed from 1826-1832. It is the most outstanding surviving example of a slackwater canal system in the world and one of the first designed for steam-powered vessels. It was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2007. The waterway extends 202 km (125 miles) linking communities from Kingston to Ottawa, Canada's Capital. Conference delegates enjoyed the opportunity to visit both ends of the Rideau Canal and saw several unique features along its length. "Promoting the WCC" was the title of the leading article in IWI's Newsletter dated January 2008. http://www.worldcanalsconference.org/
Liverpool, UK, June 13-15, 2007	Liverpool celebrates its 800th anniversary in 2007 and is due to become the European Capital of Culture in 2008. The 2007 conference will immediately precede the Mersey River Festival, which is due to take place from 15th to 18th June. That the conference is to be held in Liverpool is particularly appropriate given the recent transfer of ownership and operation of Liverpool's historic South Docks from English Partnerships to British Waterways. http://www.worldcanalsconference.org/
	Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA, September 12-15, 2006 Organised by the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor (Hugh Moore Park) and the National Canal Museum, on the theme "Industry to Recreation: Greening the Coal Canals".
	Trollhättan, Sweden, August 22-27, 2005 The 2005 conference was a six-day event, organised by the Association of Swedish Canal Authorities. Full report is available on the organiser's web site http://www5.auderis.se/wcc2005/

Brussels, October 4-8, 2004

Exhibition and Symposium on inland waterways at the European Parliament
From Limerick to Kiev : waterways for tomorrow's Europe

The week-long exhibition in Brussels on October 4-8, 2004 contributed to promotion of the benefits of inland navigations throughout Europe. A symposium on October 6, formally opened by Ms Karla Peijs, addressed the particular issues of the smaller waterways, for which no formal international framework for planning and development has been established to date. The event was promoted by a consortium of interested organisations: Alliance Internatuonale de Tourisme, European Boating Association, European Recreational Marine Industry Group, DBA - The Barge Association and IWI. For further information e-mail info@inlandwaterwaysinternational.org.

St. Catharines, Ontario, June 2004

The 2004 conference was held in Canada at Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, and was sponsored by the Canadian Canal Society and the Welland Canal Company. The conference celebrated the 175th anniversary of the first Welland canal, and the 50th anniversary of the fourth canal, part of the St Lawrence Seaway. Record levels of traffic are being recorded on the seaway.

Further information from Canadian Canal Society, P.O. Box 23016, Mid-Town Post Office, St. Catherines, Ontario L2R 7P6 or Tel: +1 905 688 5601 ext 1722

Edinburgh, Scotland, September 2003

In 2003 Scotland was the host country, the conference being organised by British Waterways Scotland. It was held in Edinburgh from September 24 to 26, 2003. In addition to a programme of presentations on various canal related subjects of international interest, the prime feature was the Falkirk Wheel, unique in the world.

The organiser was: British Waterways Scotland, Canal House, 1 Applecross Street, Glasgow G4 9SP. Tel: +44 (0)141 332 6936 Fax: 331 1688

Montreal, September 2002

The conference in 2002 was held in Montreal, Canada from September 11 to the 13. Conferences and workshops were held in the enchanting location of the historic Lachine Canal with excursions and cruises to the St. Lawrence River, the Old Port of Montreal, the Lachine Falls and the Rideau Canal from Ottawa to Kingston. This well organised event was well attended by delegates from both sides of the Atlantic especially from Ireland.

Conference in Belgium, September 2003

The Liege Tourist Board organised an international conference on September 4-5, 2003, to promote waterway tourism. The event marks the 100th anniversary of the writer George Simenon who wrote inspiringly of his travels through the canals of Belgium and France.