For many tourists, a trip to Niagra Falls must include a close brush with the falls aboard the famed tour boat Maid of The Mist.
But the iconic boat has retired from excursions on the Canadian side of the falls, and will launch only from the U.S.
That’s created an opportunity for a Wheatley company to create its own legacy when it comes to Canadian tours.
Hike Metal Products won the bid to produce the next generation of boats to tour the falls from the Canadian side.
Hike Metal Vice-President Frank Baptista says “This is quite a unique process, in all the 40 years I’ve been here.”
The Maid of the Mist has been synonymous with the falls for 160 years.
But two new boats commissioned by Hornblower Niagra Cruises will have an entirely different look; 26-metre-long Catamarans.
According to Baptista, “These are more stable, they’re not going to flip back and forth as much as the other vessels do.”
Over 30 people at Hike are building the boats, designed to hold up to 700 passengers as the travel along the lower gorge.
Baptista says, “This is much bigger, this is more than double what others can take.” And the boats will feature a 360 degree unobstructed view of the falls.
Mory DiMaurizio is general manager of Hornblower Cruises, he says “They’ll also have dry-viewing areas for those who don’t have to be immersed in the whole mist experience. And they’ll also have retractable walls.”
DeMaurizio adds, “Having the boats built in Canada is just fantastic.”
He says more than 200 Canadians will be employed by Hornblower Niagra Cruises.
