BY PAUL MITCHELLNorth Country This Week

CANTON – The Village of Canton, along with its state partners, announced the kick-off of the NY Forward planning process. 

The first Local Planning Committee (LPC) meeting is scheduled for Friday, May 10, at 9 a.m. in the Canton Justice Court Room located at 60 Main Street. The meeting is open to the public and will include an opportunity for public comment at the conclusion of the meeting.

In the North Country Region, Canton and Alexandria Bay were each the recipients of $4.5 million.

"For every journey, there is a beginning. May 10th marks the commencement of our NY Forward journey. We ask for the community's participation as we move ahead. I hope we can work together to build a future that uplifts our community,” said Village Mayor and LPC Co-Chair Michael Dalton.

NY Forward is a central component of the State's economic development efforts, working together with the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI), to accelerate and expand the revitalization of New York's downtowns. NY Forward serves smaller communities with historic character that distinguishes them from the larger, more urban central business districts typically funded through DRI. NY Forward communities are walkable, less dense areas that serve the immediate local community, and are more local in nature - focusing on the immediately surrounding residential or rural agricultural centric development. Governor Kathy Hochul has committed $100 million for the second round of the NY Forward program. Each of the State’s ten Regional Economic Development Councils (REDCs) recommended two communities for NY Forward awards. NY Forward is led by the Department of State, in close partnership with Empire State Development, NYS Homes and Community Renewal and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

The Local Planning Committee (LPC) includes local and regional leaders, stakeholders, and community representatives. LPC members will attend a variety of meetings at which they will be asked to brainstorm ideas, provide direction to consultants, review planning products, and prioritize actions. Village Mayor Michael Dalton and Kathryn Morris, President of St. Lawrence University and Co-Chair of the North Country Regional Economic Development Council, are the Canton LPC Co-Chairs.

“I am thrilled to see the Canton community recognized in this round of the State’s NY Forward Program. We look forward to working with the Local Planning Committee and our community members throughout this process in recommending projects for funding that will enhance the Village’s economy and overall quality of life,” stated Kathryn Morris, President of St. Lawrence University, Co-Chair of the North Country Regional Economic Development Council, and LPC Co-Chair said.

For more information, please visit the Canton NY Forward website at www.CantonNYForward.com.

Public engagement is a key component of the NY Forward planning process and fundamental to the success of NY Forward. The objective of public engagement is to ensure that all stakeholders have ample opportunity to be informed about the NY Forward process and its intended outcomes; to comment on the process as it progresses; to express their concerns and contribute ideas; and to participate in building a consensus about the vision for the Downtown and other outcomes, culminating in a locally supported NY Forward Strategic Investment Plan. Public workshops and engagement activities will be scheduled throughout the effort to allow opportunity for public input. More information about NY Forward can be found at https://www.ny.gov/programs/ny-forward.