canal boat rides in the us and ontario

CANAL BOAT RIDES IN THE U.S. AND ONTARIO
If you will be traveling around the eastern half of North America, you might want to visit one of the many canal boat
concessions. Here is a partial list:
MICHIGAN
Soo Locks Boat Tours at Sault Ste.
Marie -- Soo Locks Boat Tours is
one of Michigan’s top attractions.
The 2-hour sightseeing cruise has
many departure times available. In
the evening, enjoy a Soo Locks Dinner Cruise, Monday through Friday,
or a Themed Dinner Cruise on Saturday evenings.
Soo Locks Dinner Cruise with a
twist: A delicious buffet dinner
awaits you on this 2½-hour maritime
adventure. See the beauty of the St.
Mary’s River, cruise right alongside
the giant ships, and pass through the
famous Soo Locks.
St. Mary’s River Lighthouse Tours:
For more adventure try a Soo Locks
Lighthouse Cruise. Experience riding
through the Soo Locks and navigate
the Upper St. Mary’s River. You’ll
explore this important waterway and
view the variety of lighthouses and
navigation makers leading ships to
the Soo Locks from Lake Superior.
Soo Locks Boat Tours, P.O. Box 739,
Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783 Dock
#1, 1157 East Portage Ave. Dock #2,
515 East Portage Avenue, 800-4326301; 906-632-6301; sales@
@soolocks.com; www.soolocks.com
ILLINOIS
Wendella Boats, Chicago - Familyowned and operated and located at
the start of Chicago’s Magnificent
Mile, Wendella Boats provides you
with a safe, comfortable, affordable
fun day on the waterways. The
experienced staff and expert tour
guides ensure that you capture the
true essence of Chicago’s past,
present, and future every time you
step on board one of the vessels.
Wendella features three distinctive
tours, all focusing on the history
and architecture of the city. They
include the Combined Lake and
River Tour, the Chicago River
Architecture Tour and the
extremely popular Chicago at
Sunset Cruise. Wendella also
provides a full venue of private
special event and specialty cruises
including the Wine and Waves
architectural wine tasting cruise.
The 90-Minute Combined Lake and
River Tour: The signature tour is a
comprehensive overview of
Chicago, offering breathtaking
views of the magnificent skyline
and an up-close perspective from
the Chicago River. Departing from
the Wendella Dock at the Wrigley
Building, this 90-minute tour
features a live narration highlighting Chicago’s rich history and
architecture along with a trip
through the Chicago Lock. 400
North Michigan Avenue, Chicago,
IL 60611; 312-337-1446;
www.wendellaboats.com.
▲The canal boat, “Volunteer,”
plies a watered section of the Illinois
& Michigan Canal at LaSalle from
May through October with a fixed
schedule on Friday, Saturday, & Sunday, at 11:30, 1:00, and 2:30. Weekdays vary, so please call or check our
website for a weekly schedule.
Adults: $14, seniors (65+): $12,
youth (ages 16 and under): $8, children under 3: Free. The LaSalle Canal Boat is accessible for nonmotorized wheelchairs. Reservations
are strongly encouraged. All tickets
must be picked up in the Lock 16
Visitor Center. Please arrive at least
20 minutes before departure. 815-220
-1848. www.lasallecanalboat.org;
Canal Cor r i dor Ass oci at i on,
www.iandmcanal.org
INDIANA
▲ Step aboard the Delphi for a trip
down the Wabash & Erie Canal in
Delphi, Indiana. Sat. and Sun. with
cruises starting at 1:30 p.m. (two or
three runs depending on number of
passengers wanting to ride); May 18
through Labor Day; charters by
appointment on weekdays, $150 per
40-minute trip and $50 for an additional trip. Adults, $7; school-aged
kids, $4; lap-sitting younger kids,
free. Buy tickets at the booth
(continued on page two)
beside the dock. ADA accessible.
1030 West Washington St., 12 blocks
north of the Court House, Delphi, IN;
www.wabashanderiecanal.org; 765564-2870.
▲ Come to Metamora, Indiana and
take a half-hour excursion on the
Whitewater Canal aboard the Ben
Franklin III. The boat is 75’ long,
12’ wide, holds 80 passengers; design
based on a typical line boat of the
canal era. May 1-Oct 31, Wed-Sun,
noon to 4, on the hour. Closed Monday except holidays. One-mile ride
with talk on canal history. Adults, $4;
seniors, $3.50; children 3-12, $2; under 3 or over 90, free; School groups
$1.00 per activity. 765-647-6512.
w w w . m e t a mo r a i n d i a n a . c o m/
Attractions.htm.
OHIO
Ride the General Harrison of
Piqua at the Johnson Farm &
Indian Agency, 9845 Hardin Rd, Piqua, Ohio 45356. April, May, Sept,
Oct, Mon-Fri, 9-2. June, July, August: Thurs. & Fri. 10-5; Sat & Sun,
noon-5. Thurs.-Sun. rides with crew
in period clothing; 12:30, 2:30 & 4.
$8, adults, $4,
students, 5 and
under free. 800 -752-2619.
www.johnstonfarmohio.com
▼
All aboard the Volunteer at
Ohio’s Providence Metropark in
Grand Rapids, near Toledo. During
the 45-minute trip, with passage
through an original lock, living
history characters tell educational
and entertaining stories about life in
the late 1800s on the Miami and
Erie Canal. May-Oct, check website for hours. Canal boat tickets: $6
adults, $5 seniors (60 and over),
$4 children (3 to 12), ages two and
under free. Tours of the Isaac
Ludwig Mill, free. 13827 US 24
West (at SR 578), opposite Grand
Rapids on the Maumee River. 419832-6004. Check the website for
times. www.metroparkstoledo.com/
metro/parksandplaces/index.asp?
page_id=527
▼
The City of Canal Fulton
operates the St. Helena III canal
boat rides on a 1-mile section of the
Ohio & Erie Canal. 2014: May 3June 1, weekends. June 3-Aug, 31,
Tues–Sun. Sept. 6-Oct. 12, weekends. 1:00 & 2:30 p.m., weather
permitting. School & group charters
available. Adults & teens $8; seniors & veterans, $7; children 6-17,
$5; 5 & under, free with paid adult.
Heritage House & Old Canal Days
Museum, Sat & Sun, 12-4 during
boating season. For more information: 330-854-6835; 125 Tuscacarawas St, Canal Fulton, OH [email protected]
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▲ A relaxing cruise on the Ohio &
Erie Canal aboard the Monticello
III makes a visit to Roscoe Village
complete. This 1½-mile, 45-minute,
horse-drawn ride allows passengers
to experience this early mode of
transportation. Group rates and
charters available. Memorial DayLabor Day. Departures Tue-Sun, 1, 2,
& 3 p.m. Weekends, Sept 3 to midOct. $8, adults; $6, ages 5-12. 23253
State Route 83, Coshocton, OH
43812-9601; 740-622-7528; 740-622
-3415 or 800-877-1830.
▲ The Sandpiper is 100-passenger
replica of the canal boats of the
1850s. Twin diesel engines power the
boat on the Maumee River and Lake
Erie from downtown Toledo.
Experience an upriver cruise past
elegant estates, yacht clubs, and
wildlife, or downriver past the new
Veterans Glass City Skyway Bridge,
the shipyard, and the Port of Toledo.
Enjoy enchanting city lights or
breathtaking fall colors. A variety of
public rides are offered, ranging from
$15 for adults and $7 for children and
up, depending on the length of the
cruise and whether food is included.
Most rides are 2 hours. Public rides
include Picnic Lunch Cruises,
Musical Dinner Cruises, Sunset and
City Lights Cruises, Fall Color
(continued on page three)
Cruises, and Halloween Boat Rides
for Kids as well as trips out to Lake
Erie to see Toledo Harbor Lighthouse
and Turtle Island. The boat is also
available for private charter for
parties and field trips. Cruises depart
from our Jefferson Street Dock in
Promenade Park in downtown
Toledo. Season: May-October.
[email protected];
www.sandpiperboat.com; 419-5371212.
NEW YORK
▲ 1½-hour trips on Erie Canal
Cruises aboard the 130-passenger
Lil’ Diamond III, Herkimer, NY.
Fully-narrated historical cruise
through a lock. A must for the history
buff. Discounted rates for private
groups. Public cruises mid-May
through mid-October. Twice daily, 1
and 3 p.m. Adults, $19; children 310, $12. 315-717-0350.
www.eriecanalcruises.com.
▲ Champlain Canal Tour Boats,
LLC is open May 12 through October 31, 1-hour to 3-hour waterfall
tour and/or locking tour. M/V Caldwell Belle. Regular scheduled day
trips and overnight excursions. See
rivers, canals, locks, and waterfalls
on the Hudson River and Champlain
Canal. Lock C5, Rts. 4 & 32 N.
Schuylerville; PO Box 9, Schuylerville, NY 12871; 518-695-5609;
518-695-5496, office (in season).
[email protected]
www.champlaincanaltours.com
Erie-Champlain Canal Boat Co.
offers lock tours of the Champlain
or Erie canals, family-oriented,
departing from the Waterford
Harbor Visitor Center at Waterford,
NY. 1½-2-hour lock tours. Selfcaptained boats also available for
hire by the day or week (May-Oct).
For more information, please call
518-432-6094 or visit our website
at www.eccboating.com. ▼
Mid-Lakes Navigation offers oneweek or half-week charters on its
Lockmaster. You pilot your narrowboat along the Erie Canal. Or take
the Emita II and let someone else
do the driving. Contact: 11 Jordan
St., PO Box 61, Skaneateles, NY
13152; 315-685-8500; 800-5454318; [email protected]
www.midlakesnav.com.
The Emita II, our double-decked
tour boat, offers cruises from Juneearly Oct. With departures only
minutes from downtown Syracuse
at Dutchman’s Landing, you can
discover the legendary Erie Canal.
Mid-Lakes also offers cruises daily,
mi d -May-through Sept on
Skaneateles Lake, about 40 minutes from downtown Syracuse.
From a 1-hour sightseeing cruise in
July and August to the U.S. Mailboat or a Champagne Dinner cruise,
there's something for everyone!
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▲Mid-Lakes Navigation’s mailboat
on Skaneateles Lake. Below, the
Lockmaster.
Above, Emita II. Below, Judge Ben Wiles.
Experience Lockport’s unique
narrated cruise, which includes locking through and being raised the 49ft. elevation of the Niagara Escarpment in the only double set of locks
on the Erie Canal. Pass under
bridges that raise straight up, see
water cascade over Lockport’s
famous “Flight of Five” 1840s locks,
and travel through the solid walls of
the “rock cut.” Take one of the regularly scheduled cruises available
daily from May 3 to October 13, or
(continued on page four)
arrange special private charter times
for your groups of 25 or more. Call
us to schedule a cruise! $17.50, adult;
$9, ages 4-10. 1-800-378-0352; 716433-6155.www.lockportlocks.com.▼
The Lockport Cave & Underground Boat Ride in Lockport, NY,
along the Erie Canal offers an exciting, 70-minute guided tour through
America’s past. You will explore the
historic Erie Canal Locks 67-71,
constructed in 1838, view ruins from
an earlier industrial age, and walk
safely through a water tunnel that
was blasted out of solid rock in the
1850s, viewing stalactites, flow
stone, various geological formations,
and artifacts left behind by the men
who built the tunnel in the early days
of the Erie Canal. The next part of
your journey is a one-of-a-kind
underground boat ride, the longest
such ride in America. Marvel at
artifacts left by miners on the Erie
Canal over a century ago. And view
cave formations in their early stages
of development. Visitors are awestruck as they take a ride that has
been described as both “peaceful and
eerie” as the boat glides through the
lifeless water, illuminated only by
small, sporadically placed electric
lights. 2 Pine St., Lockport, NY
14094; 716-438-0174; lockportcave.com. Ticket Office: 5 Gooing
Street, Lockport, NY, 14094. 2013
Rates: Adults: $12.00*, Children (512): $7.00* *Admission prices do not
include tax.
May 4th-19th, Saturday & Sunday
only, 11-4. May 25th-June 21st, daily,
11-4. June 22nd-Labor Day, daily,
10-5. September 3rd-October 14th,
Weekdays, 11, 1, and 3. Weekends
11-4. All tours leave on the hour.
▼
events as well. Call 315-789-5520 for
more information. www. roselummis.com. ▼
The Colonial Belle has been
providing Erie Canal boat cruises
from mid-May through October for
20+ years. Come aboard in Fairport, NY, just 20 minutes from
Rochester, for lunches, dinners, and
private charters on our narrated
cruises. Erie Canal Boat Tour, 400
Packett’s Landing, Fairport, NY
14450. For more information, call
585-223-9470. 3 tours daily, TuesSat .; 2 tour s on Sunday.
www.colonialbelle.com. ▼
At Camillus Erie Canal Park,
from May to October, Sundays 1-5,
board Ontario, our turn-of-thecentury excursion boat, or the
pontoon boat Camillus Erie, for a
2-mile, 45-minute trip across the
newly restored Nine Mile Creek
Aqueduct of the Enlarged Erie
Canal. Dinner cruises leave Wed.
evenings in July & August aboard the
spacious Iroquois at 5750 Devoe
Road, Camillus, NY 13031; 315-4883409; www.eriecanalcamillus.com;
[email protected]. ▼
Located at the north end of
tranquil Seneca Lake, Stivers
Seneca Marine offers scenic,
narrated boat tours on our 1953
Mississippi riverboat, the Rose
Lummis, which has an enclosed
lower deck with a bar and a
restroom, and an open upper deck
for viewing. Memorial Day-Labor
Day, Thurs-Sun. Join us for our 1¼hour tour at 2 and 4 p.m. Adults,
$15; children under 12, $10; children under 2, free. The tour leaves
from the City Chamber Dock, 35
Lake Front Drive, Geneva, NY
14456 (adjacent to the Ramada).
The Rose is available for private
4
Corn Hill Navigation operates the
historic Erie Canal replica packet
boat Sam Patch on the Erie
Canal in Rochester from May-Oct,
with daily public cruises and private
charters. Daily cruises offered
at noon, 2, and 4. Please see website
for wine and dinner cruise dates.
Noon cruises offer a luncheon option
at additional cost. Adults, $15; students (13-22) and seniors (65+), $11;
students (3-12), $7.50; under 2, free.
585-662-5748 for information and
reservations. www.samandmary.org.
MASSACHUSETTS
Boat tours at Lowell National
Historical Park are $8 for adults, $7
for seniors (62+), $6 for students
(age 6-16), and free for children 5
and under. The “Full Works” boat
tour is an additional $2 for each category; this comprehensive tour of
Lowell’s waterpower system shows
the visitor the relationships between
the canals, the mills, and the workers.
Explore Lowell’s many waterways,
gatehouses, and mill complexes.
For boat tours, visitors arrive at the
Visitor Center, 246 Market Street at
least 15 minutes before tour start time
to buy tickets. Boat tours are on an
open-topped boat; rain or shine. 978970-5000; nps.gov/lowe ▼
PENNSYLVANIA
Josiah White II operates on the Lehigh Canal in Hugh Moore Park,
Easton PA. Season begins on Memorial Day weekend and then operates
on Wednesday-Sunday, from June 5
through September 2; open Labor
Day weekend and weekends only in
September. The boat departs at 1, 2,
3, and 4 p.m. Admission includes the
Emrick Center. The Locktender’s
House is included on weekends
only. Visit our website at
www.canals.org. ▼
Boat rides on the Union Canal
and through the tunnel are available
every Sunday, June-October, from
12:30 to 4:30 at 25th and Union
Canal Drive, Lebanon, PA (north
of the Lebanon Valley Mall). Private group rides available: 717-2726949. Union Canal Days, May 1819 is a two-day festival with music,
food, crafts, performers, and boat
rides. Walk on the towpath, picnic
at the tunnel, or climb the trails.
Park open dawn to dusk. Pets
welcome, but must be leashed. The
boats are being repaired to meet
Fish & Boat Commission requirements; please call 717-272-1473 to
see if they are operating. For info
and additional events, please visit
www.unioncanaltunnel.org. ▼
MARYLAND, VIRGINIA
Ride the National Park Service’s
mule-drawn excursion boat Charles
F. Mercer at the C&O Canal NHP
Great Falls Visitor Center, 11710
MacArthur Blvd, Potomac MD
20854. April 5 through the end of
October, Wed - Fri 11:00 & 3:00,
Sat & Sun, 11:00, 1:30, and 3:00.
5
$5, students; $6, seniors; $8, adults.
During the school year, please call
ahead, as the boat fills up quickly.
301-767-3714. www.nps.gov/choh ▼
Experience the C&O Canal of the
1920’s on the National Park Service’s new Launch Boat program.
The Katie Dreamer is a replica of the
electric pleasure boats that plied the
C&O Canal in its later years. Tours
leave from Williamsport, Maryland’s
Cushwa Basin Visitor Center, 205
West Potomac Street, Williamsport,
MD 21795. Operates Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Memorial Day
weekend to Labor Day weekend.
Free, donations welcome. Limited
day-of reservations available. Please
call 301-582-0813 for times.
www.nps.gov/choh
Join the Riverfront Historic
Canal Cruises for a 40-min, historically narrated tour of the James
River and Kanawha Canal along
Richmond’s Canal Walk. Boats
depart on the hour from the Turning
Basin on Virginia Street between
14th and Dock, Apr & Nov, FriSun.▼ (continued on next page)
May & Oct, Thurs-Sun. Sept, WedSun. June-Aug, Mon-Sun. 800649-2800; 804-788-6466;
www.venturerichmond.com. ▼
GEORGIA
Enjoy a guided tour on a Petersburg
replica canal cargo boat along the
Augusta Canal. One-hour heritage
sightseeing tours several times daily
($12.50); three-hour sunset cruises
3rd Saturdays ($22); live music on
Friday nights ($25). Daily, AprilJune and Sept-Nov; Tues-Sat, DecMarch and July-Aug. Contact Augusta Canal National Heritage Area,
1450 Greene Street, Augusta, Georgia 30901; 706-823-0440;
www.augustacanal.com. ▼
St. Lawrence Cruise Lines -Celebration of Spring
Kingston and Return
1000 Islands Extravaganza (3-night)
Kingston to Montreal, Heritage
Waterway East (3-night)
Montreal to Kingston, Heritage
Waterway West (3-night)
Ottawa to Kingston, Canada’s
Capital Cruise South (6-night)
Kingston to Ottawa, Canada’s
Capital Cruise North (6-night)
Quebec City to Kingston, Canadian
Connection West (6-night)
Kingston to Quebec City, Canadian
Connection Cruise East (6-night)
1-800-267-7868; 1-613-549-8091;
[email protected]
St. Lawrence Cruise Lines Inc.,
Suite 200, 253 Ontario Street,
Kingston, Ont, Canada K7L 2Z4;
www.stlawrencerivercruise.com ▼
ONTARIO, CANADA
Cruise the Trent-Severn Waterway
and experience the Peterborough
Lift Lock. Mid-May to mid-October.
Check the website for times. Adult,
$22 +HST; seniors/youth, $20 +
HST; children (4-13), $12 + HST; 3
and under, free. 2-hour, narrated
sightseeing cruises aboard the Island
Princess, a double-deck replica sidewheeler, or the Skylark VIII, a modern single-deck tour boat. Dinner and
cocktail cruises available. 1-888-5354670; [email protected]
www.liftlockcruises.com ▼
Stoney Lake Boat Cruises offers
scenic cruises on Stoney Lake in
the Kawartha Lakes region of Ontario. Cruise aboard the Kawartha
Spirit, the largest Canadian Coast
Guard-approved vessel serving the
Kawarthas, with a capacity of 200.
Join us as we cruise this picturesque
lake winding through the narrow
channels amidst some of the many
islands. Enjoy breathtaking scenery
while viewing palatial waterfront
homes and quaint island cottages.▼
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A live commentary provides the fascinating history and local points of
interest in this beautiful area. For
more information : 705-654-5253
www.ka warthalakescruises.com .
[email protected].
Orillia Boat Cruises. We offer several cruises. Couchiching Cruise:
1-hour cruise on Lake Couchiching
with the spectacular scenery of the
Orillia city shoreline. Plan a funfilled day in Orillia, park your car for
free, go on the cruise, take a walk on
the boardwalk, have a picnic in the
park, and then enjoy the beach at
Couchiching Beach Park. Morning in
summer, afternoon in spring and fall.
Spring cruise extended to 1½ hours.
Confirmed reservations appreciated
but not required. In the summer this
cruise sails 3 times daily on Friday.
Twin Lakes Cruise: This 2¼-hour
cruise on Lake Couchiching combines a passage to Lake Simcoe
through the Atherley Narrows separating Lake Simcoe from Lake
Couchiching. In the narrows we pass
the 5000-year-old site of the original
native settlers’ fish weirs. This cruise
is not recommended for small
children, due to its length. Summer
only, in the afternoon.
Lunch Cruise: This 1½-hour meal
experience cruises Lake Couchiching
around the chain of islands at the
south end of the lake near the beautiful Fern Resort. All meals are prepared onboard. Summer only, at
noon. Confirmed reservations are
required due to its popularity. Also
available at a lower cost w/o lunch).
Steak BBQ Dinner Dance Cruise:
This 2½-hour cruise is a great way to
enjoy Orillia’s best and only steak
buffet dinner. Celebrate a special
occasion. Listen to our musical duo,
Brent and Louey. Sit back and relax
or get up and dance to live music.
Summer only, Thursdays at 7:00
p.m. Confirmed reservations are
required.
All-day Fall Color Cruise: This 6½hour cruise sails from the Orillia
Town Dock on Lake Couchiching,
through Lock 42, up the Trent System on the Severn River into Sparrow
Lake. Includes continental breakfast
and hot lunch buffet. Free coffee all
day. Experience fall’s splendour on
board the Island Princess. No children, please. Mid-September to the
end of the season. Confirmed reservations and advanced payment in
full at time of booking is required.
220 Missassaga St. E., Orillia, ON
L3V 1W2, Canada; 705-325-2628.
www.obcruise.com; capt@obcruise.
com. ▼
Washago Cruise Lines, cruising the
historic Severn River in beautiful
Muskoka. Board our 60-year-old
vessel for a unique voyage on the
historic Black, Green, and Severn
river systems. The Piratos is driven
by a quiet 4-stroke engine and can be
covered upon request. Our journey
may include The Old Mill, the
confluence of the Black and Green
rivers, the site of the oldest publicly
owned hydroelectric power dam in
the world, the fabulous reflections in
the Black River Gorge, and viewing
the edge of the Great Canadian
Shield. We may combine our journey
with a beverage stop or a picnic
lunch at a historic log cabin.
OTHER CRUISES: The Black
River in-depth cruise or the Lower
Severn River Cruise with fabulous
views of Wasdell Falls, locking
through Lock 42, picnic lunch at
Washago Centennial Park (Lake
Couchiching), or to Sparrow Lake
with lunch at Bayview Wildwood ▼
Resort...and so much more. Contact
and discuss with captain, Albert T.
Reitsma at 705 -689-0066,
[email protected].
Muskoka Lakes Navigation
Company - Hop aboard the RMS
Segwun, the oldest operating
steamship in North America. Enjoy
the modern conveniences blended
with historical charm aboard Wenonah II. Offering sightseeing, lunch,
and dinner cruising June through
October, this is the real Muskoka
experience. Muskoka Steamships,
185 Cherokee Lane, Gravenhurst,
Ontario P1P 1Z9. For
information on reservations and
cruises, please call us toll-free at 1866-687-6667 or 705-687- 6667 or
[email protected]. (This
address is monitored regularly only
May through October.)
www.realmuskoka.com/index.html.
Segwun (top); Wenonah II (bottom)
Paul’s Boat Lines
The tour duration is about 1½
hours from the Ottawa dock and 2
hours from the Hull dock.
7
The Paula D is the ideal sightseeing venue. The tourist has the choice
of seeing the scenery of
Ottawa from the open-air environment
of the upper deck or relaxing with
elbows on the tables of the roomy
lower deck, where passengers will
find our bar and canteen. The cruise
offers you the view of the city as it
was first conceived with the river as
its main highway and resource. You
will also see the natural beauty of the
region that captured the imagination
of the first European explorer, Samuel de Champlain. Boat departs daily
from two locations.
from The Hull Marina - Located on
the Quebec side of the river in
Jacques Cartier Park adjacent to the
Museum of Civilization and Interprovincial Bridge. Parking available
for a cost. Boat leaves daily at 10:30,
1:30, 3:30 , and 7:00*.
From the Ottawa Locks. Dock is
located at the foot of the Ottawa
Locks, between Parliament Hill and
the Fairmont Chateau Laurier Hotel.
Boat leaves daily at 11:00, 2:00,
4:00, and 7:30* p.m.
Paul’s Boat Lines Limited is
Ottawa’s premiere sightseeing venue,
offering quality sightseeing cruises
on the historic Rideau Canal and the
Ottawa River.
Since its founding in 1936, Paul’s
Boat Lines has been a part of the
spring, summer and autumn Ottawa
experience, offering tourists and
residents alike a cruise along early
Canada’s original highways, the
waterways that helped shape our
nation. On both the Rideau Canal and
the Ottawa River, Paul’s Boat Lines
maintains its tradition of presenting
unique views and friendly, personalized service.
With three boats specifically built
for the Rideau Canal and a large
double-decker boat built for the
Ottawa River available for sightseeing and charter cruises, we are sure to
have something for everyone.
www.paulsboatcruises.com/
ottawa_riv.htm; office: 613-2256781; dock: 613-235-8409;
[email protected]; 219 Colon-
nade Road, Ottawa, ON K2E 7K3
I t em s of i nt er es t i ncl u de
National Arts Centre • University of
Ottawa • Lansdowne Park • Carleton
University • Experimental Farm •
Dow’s Lake • and much more.
All cruises include a bilingual, live
commentary. Enjoy the best view
possible of one of the engineering
marvels of the nineteenth century, the
Rideau Canal. Along the way, view
many of the major sites that have led
to the development and rise of
Ottawa as a city and a seat of government. This cruise operates from
May to October.
Schedule and location: Boats leave
daily from the Rideau Canal Dock,
located alongside the Government
Conference Centre, five minutes
from Parliament Hill and directly
across the street from the Fairmont
Chateau Laurier Hotel or the Westin
Hotel. Boat leaves daily at:
10:00*, 11:30, 1:30, 3:00, 4:30, and
7:30 p.m.*
* The 10:00 am and 7:30 p.m. tours
operate from late June to early
September.
http://www.paulsboatcruises.com ▼
Ontario Waterway Cruises -- The
Kawartha Lakes and the Severn
River are very busy in the summer
with a wide range of boaters, due to
their proximity to the greater Toronto
area. Kawartha Voyageur cruises
showcase a great diversity of
engineering, including the Peterborough Lift Lock, the Kirkfield Lift
Lock, and the Big Chute Marine
Railway. Of the 22 locks we travel
through, some are manually operated “heritage” locks and others are
modern hydraulic locks built to
service the areas of heavier boat
traffic.
The Rideau Canal offers a time
capsule of quiet history as it was on
completion in 1832. Of the 35 locks
we travel through, all but 3 are constructed of hand-cut stone and are
manually operated by the lock staff.
The Rideau Canal was designated
as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
in 2007.
On the southern portion of the
Trent-Severn Waterway, between
Peterborough and Trenton, there are
19 locks, including the large flight
locks at Healey Falls and Ranney
Falls.
The popular sailing waters of the
Bay of Quinte, Long Reach, and
the North Channel are for the most
part protected from Lake Ontario by
Prince Edward County and Amherst
Island. And there is the incredible
beauty of the Thousand Islands in
the St. Lawrence River. So which
cruise should you take first?
Let timing be your guide, and we
are confident you will later return
for the other two. Office Hours:
Monday to Friday 9 to 4:30. Phone
monitored until 8 p.m. on all boarding days. 1-800-561-5767;
www. ontariowaterwaycruises.com.
The Rideau King, a fifty-foot steel
tour boat, sails Monday-Thursday
every week between Ottawa and
Westport, Ontario on the historic
Rideau Canal. Constructed in the
8
early 1800s, the Rideau Canal has
served Canadians as a military, commercial, and vacation thoroughfare
for almost 200 years. Recently designated a World Heritage Site, the
Rideau Canal stretches from Kingston to Ottawa. Take our tour and
discover one of the most beautiful
and scenic waterways in North
America. Friday through Sunday, the
Rideau King is host to personal charters like weddings, anniversaries,
birthdays and corporate events. Contact us by phone anytime between 9
a.m. and 6 p.m. EDT 1-613-2699342; Rideau King Tours, P.O. Box
201, Merrickville, Ontario, Canada
K0G 1N0; [email protected];
www. rideaukingtours.com. ▼
QUEBEC, CANADA
The Lachine Canal Cruise,
Montreal. Starting from the JacquesCartier Basin in the Old Port of
Montreal, ride Le Petit Navire on a
tour that will give you a unique,
original, specialized, and accessible
experience. Two-hour cruises during
July and August. 514-602-1000.
$25.65, adults; $23.95 seniors/
students; $18.90 children (2 to 14
years old); free (0 to 2 years old with
an adult). Taxes not included.
[email protected] or
www.lepetitnavire.ca/en/
balade_lachine.html.
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