The New York State Association of Professional Land Surveyors (NYSAPLS) has raised $13,500 to support an upcoming film project documenting the development of the Erie Canal, sometimes referred to in the past as the “eighth wonder of the world” and the “nation’s first superhighway”. The film, directed by Tom Garber, of Third Wave Films, will tell the story of the land surveying, engineering, and construction of the original Erie Canal through the wilderness of New York State in the early 1800s.

“The Erie Canal and its vast network transformed New York State in the early 19th century. The practice and principles of land surveying were at the foundation of this revolutionary engineering project. We are excited to support this important project and look forward to viewing the final film,” said Roy Garfinkel, President of The New York State Association of Professional Land Surveyors

“I am so pleased that The New York State Association of Professional Land Surveyors recognized the importance of this project. Not only will it educate the public on the extraordinary efforts it took to build the canal, and the vital role land surveyors had in mapping the route, but the story also sets an example of how important it is to pursue dreams even if they have no clear path to success,” said Tom Garber, Executive Producer, at Third Wave Films.

President Garfinkel brought the news of the coming documentary project to the NYSAPLS Board of Directors and introduced Mr. Garber to the Board on March 17, 2023 to present an overview of his project. At the next Board Meeting in May, NYSAPLS regional chapters had raised a total of $8,500 and the regional directors voted to allocate another $5,000 from the association for a collective total of $13,500 to support the film.

For more information about NYSAPLS, please visit https://www.nysapls.org/.

 For more information about the film, please visit http://www.thirdwavefilms.com/the-men-who-made-the-erie-canal.html.