Public participation in the conservation and management of canal cultural heritage worldwide: a case study of the Rideau Canal and Erie Canal

To shed light on the conservation and management of canal cultural heritage worldwide, this paper examines the relevant experience and implications acquired from the US Erie Canal and Canadian Rideau Canal from the perspective of public participation in terms of four dimensions: subject, concept, content, and horizon. The study findings are fourfold: first, the factors such as residents of the Heritage Corridor, non-governmental organizations, non-profit enterprises, private forces, tourists, and individual volunteers constitute the subject of public participation. Second, both sides concur that extensive public involvement is the driving force behind the success of cultural heritage conservation and management. This wide involvement is conducive to promoting education and shaping national identity. Third, for both sides, public participation is integral to the Heritage Corridor project management plan, spanning the entire process of drafting, revising, implementing, and evaluating. Finally, both sides have been leveraging modern information technology and social media, such as web home pages, databases, virtual discussions, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, to promote public participation, and achieving double the results with half the effort. The implications of the findings lie in four aspects: first, the canal community committees assume leadership responsibilities with relevant laws and regulations in place as legal backup; second, both the US and Canadian sides take effective measures to organize, recognize, and appreciate participants; third, they demonstrate the spirit of democratic participation and exemplary deliberation throughout the cultural heritage canal conservation and management process; and finally, both sides maximize the use of modern information technologies for efficient conservation and management of their respective Canal Cultural Heritage Corridors.