David Edwards-May Czech president Milos Zeman will be at the European Parliament building in Strasbourg on 26 February 2014, to lobby for inclusion of the Danube-Oder-Elbe water corridors in Europe’s ‘core corridor network’ for transport infrastructure investments. Ostrava-based MEP Vojtech Mynar has invited interested parties to a round table with experts on the Danube-Oder-Elbe Water Corridor in the … Read more
A sense of urgency permeates the air in Lombardy as well as in neighbouring Piedmont, Emilia Romagna and Veneto regions, regarding Italy’s network of navigable canals and rivers. What reality will be revealed to the world of inland waterway specialists and advocates, meeting in Milan on September 1st for the 27th World Canals Conference? It … Read more
Member Navigli Lombardi is hosting the 27th World Canals Conference in Milan on September 1-4. Sign up for the Conference and the pre- and post-conference tours. Also read background news and features on our Blog. The conference/tours page of Euromapping’s on-line shop may also now be used to register for the conference, by agreement with … Read more
The Pauvros report on reconfiguration of the Seine-Nord Europe Canal was presented to the French Government on December 18. The cost is reduced from more than €7 billion to €4.7 billion by a series of modifications. The project could receive EU funding for up to 40% of the total cost.
The 27th World Canals Conference is to be held in Italy for the first time, and will be based in one of the ‘birthplaces’ of European canals: Milan, from Monday 1st to Thursday 4th September 2014. The public agency for development of Milan’s canals, Navigli Lombardi, is putting together a conference that will be both … Read more
Inland Waterways International as a body and its members as individuals were saddened to hear that Glenn Millar, friend and supporter of inland waterways, passed away in September 2013 after a long illness. Glenn was the economic development manager at the Canal and River Trust (formerly British Waterways), and enthusiastic leader of European cooperation projects … Read more
IWI’s Annual General Meeting was held in Toulouse on September 15 at the World Canals Conference venue, the Espaces Vanel. This view shows council member and regular contributor to our publications David Wadham, our delegate for Serbia Krsta Paskovic, secretary Dave MacDougall, president Dave Ballinger, vice-president David Edwards-May and Russell Thompson of Scottish Canals, presenting … Read more
The subject is not totally taboo, but in 40 years of activity on the inland waterways, a ‘world of its own’, I have found that people prefer to avoid it. ‘The less said the better’, seems to be the motto ! Confronted with two conflicting ‘politically correct’ opinions, Euromapping decided to undertake a detailed survey, starting … Read more
The saga of the Canadian Heritage canals managed by Parks Canada grinds on. In the early New Year Parks Canada introduced a new fee schedule for using the locks on its three major historic canals; the Rideau, The Trent Severn Waterway and the Quebec Canals. Not only was Parks Canada proposing a whole new way … Read more
VNF’s summary report on its activities in 2012 devotes one of its 10 chapters to the tree-replanting programme and corporate patronage approach to funding the €200 million restoration of the Canal du Midi’s characteristic landscape. VNF reports (in its New Year press release) that it felled 1668 plane-trees condemned by canker stain in 2012, and … Read more
Vive VNF under its new statute as a public administration! Following the successful public consultation process, the State body is expected to start works on enlarging the Creil-Compiègne section of the river Oise to European Class Vb capacity. The works are needed to harmonise navigable dimensions throughout the Seine-Scheldt waterway. The public consultation was completed … Read more
The Google Streetview automatic scrambler of peoples’ faces has indiscriminately defaced the creator of the Canal du Midi on a banner outside the canal museum at Saint-Ferréol. This delightful quirk of automation of image processing suggests a new form of request to be made to our omnipotent and omniscient provider of images of the planet: ‘Dear G, Please unscramble the image of Pierre Paul Riquet. He died in 1680, so you’re safe from any legal action!’