Tonawanda mayor annoyed by Canal Fest street damage

The mayor last week sent a letter to the organizers of Canal Fest of the Tonawandas complaining that a company that set up and operated rides for the festival damaged a city street.

White said the city's contract with the Canal Fest organization specifically bars ride operators from using road stakes.

That's why, he said, he was "extremely frustrated" to see on July 15, two days before the festival began, that Powers Great American Midways had used them on Niagara Street to brace the inflatable landing area for a children's slide and another ride.

This section, between Seymour and Main streets, had been repaved just the year before, White said in an interview.

White said Corky Powers acknowledged his company's mistake and promised to repair the damage – three deep holes and two other indentations – before leaving town, but never did.

"I took this man at his word," White wrote.

His letter included an estimate from the city's Department of Public Works for $1,360 for labor and materials to repair the pavement damage.

White said the department's work should be finished as soon as Tuesday.

Rick Maier, Canal Fest's vice president, said in a text message that the organization would cover the cost of the repairs and questioned the newsworthiness of the situation.

"It's not a money issue," White told The Buffalo News. "To me, it's the principle."

Canal Fest, a joint festival held in the cities of Tonawanda and North Tonawanda, returned last month for the first time since 2019. The eight-day festival had been canceled in 2020 and 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.