Here's what to do if you want to solve a murder mystery on the Rideau Canal

An escape room on the water gives you the opportunity to solve a murder mystery while on the Rideau Canal.

The idea to solve a mystery while on a boat on the Rideau Canal comes from the “eeriness” vibe on the canal, which has a theme similar to an escape room with low-level lighting, Benoit Gatien, Ottawa Boat Cruise, told CTV morning Live Thursday.

"It's more immersive than it is terrifying. But there is kind of an under theme to the experience as you are trying to find out who the Rideau Canal ripper was 10 years ago," said Gatien.

Participants look for clues to find the Rideau Canal ripper before it's too late while being on the water. They work in groups made of four to six people. Up to six groups can play per evening, he says.

Participants come to a setting on the canal in front of the Shaw Centre, right in front of the round trip, where the boat shows up in complete darkness. They get on it with tablecloth lanterns in their hands.

The boat sails all the way to Dow's Lake where they get out to an open water lake, he adds.

Here's how it works:

"You receive a mysterious invitation to the Rideau Canal. You're not sure why you're there. You think you're there for a guided tour. All of a sudden, there is a bit of disruption in the speech of the tour guide and there's a serial killer that comes over the speakers and says, guess what?" Gatien said.

"I've trapped you into my plan within the next 60 minutes. If you don't figure out who did it, you're going over the locks."

Gatien adds that there are multiple clues on the cruise, such as a mixture of blood samples, cups, prints left by the serial killer or victims and a little bit of snake venom.

People are encouraged to wear costumes from the late 1800s or early 1900s to immerse themselves in the experience.

The game starts around 8 p.m. every weekend between September and October. The final day this summer is Saturday.

The Ottawa Boat Cruise's pilot season kicked off last summer. The seasonal game kicks off in September, when "there's something with slightly colder temperatures getting closer to Halloween," he adds.

More information is available online.