Unless gondolas somehow come into vogue, Lewiston is best served by trying to resolve its canal issues creatively, rather than allow them to exist as money-wasters instead of money-makers into the future. City Administrator Jim Bennett has a few ideas.

He presented them on Monday night – a system of walking trails and greenspaces based, in part, upon filling the city’s canals and turning them into a downtown asset. The notion drew a “mixed response” from the crowd, maybe because of its cost, maybe because it was Bennett who introduced them.

(Some things in Lewiston will always be true. The bells of the Basilica ringing at noontime … the balloon festival that new ideas put forth by Jim Bennett will receive equal parts cheers and hisses.)

Attention to the canals, however, is overdue. They are a unique feature of Lewiston’s downtown landscape, both functional and, perhaps, even fashionable. Yet right now they are neither – their electrical production loses money for the city, and their looks leave much to be desired.

There’s much about downtown that needs to be done. The city is right to target the parts that not only need attention, but are also a draw on taxpayers as well – like the canals. They shouldn’t be both under-utilized for their aesthetics and cost taxpayers money on their operation.

That doesn’t make any sense.

At the beginning of this strategic planning, we urged the city to not make this endeavor another exercise in downtown dream-making, but rather a holistic look at Lewiston’s myriad assets, drawbacks and competitive advantages.

A canal plan is a big part of that. But it shouldn’t exist on its own; how it would fit with other advancements and investments across the entire city is a priority. At the end of this process, what should be created is a fresh blueprint for Lewiston. That is what is needed, and what was promised.

Heartening to hear, however, was input from Tom Peters, the Lewiston City Council president, who predicted that the fate of Bates Mill No. 5 will be decided by what the strategic plan says. If true, this will be the plan’s legacy – as what happens with the hulking saw-toothed mill will redefine downtown.

It is the largest piece, by far, but that shouldn’t obscure smaller ones. The canal plan unveiled Monday is an interesting proposal for bettering a depressed area, while resolving a money-losing scenario for the city as well. It deserves attention because, as a concept, it presents a buy-one-get-one-free value.

Lewiston could use more ideas that fix problems, two at a time.