New all-electric boat sets sail on the Rideau Canal
Ottawa Boat Cruise is expanding its all-electric fleet along the Rideau Canal, and is committing to electrify its full fleet of boats and vessels over the next three years.
The company's first all-electric vessel, Queen Elizabeth Drive, has been operating along the Rideau Canal since 2016. The 95-passenger cruise ship, takes visitors from downtown Ottawa, at the National Arts Centre, for a 90-minute ride towards Dow’s Lake and back again.
And without the loud rumble of a typical boat’s diesel engine, the whisper quiet ride offers a relaxing and scenic views of historic landmarks, like the Pretoria Bridge, the Aberdeen Pavilion at Lansdowne Park and Dow's Lake.
On Thursday, Ottawa Boat Cruise, which offers tours along the Rideau Canal and Ottawa River, launched its second all-electric ship, Colonel By Drive. The vessel will operate in tandem with its sister vessel, which company director of operations Benoit Gatien says shows the increase of demand as the public turns to responsible tourism.
OBC has been running along the Ottawa and Gatineau waterways for more than 45 years. It also announced the creation of a new branch on Thursday called EKEAU, and will be fully greening its operations with the launch of three new locally designed and manufactured electric passenger vessels in the next three years.
"Our goal is to cut all emissions for our operations by 2026 and to make the national capital region a world leader in green tourism," Robert Taillefer, Ottawa Boat Cruise CEO said. "As one of the region’s most important tourism attractions, with hundreds of thousands of guests each year, we feel it is incumbent upon us to innovate and ensure our operations are not contributing to climate change."
Next summer, the company will unveil the world’s first fully electric ‘amphibus‘, an amphibious vehicle which takes tourists on land and water. The classic ‘Paula D’ cruise ship, which operates along the Ottawa River, will be replaced with a fully electric, 500-passenger catamaran in 2025.
"This comes at a very opportune time for the nation’s capital," says Tobi Nussbaum, National Capital Commission CEO. "The NCC is reimagining ways to reconnect to the historic river culture that once defined the capital, to allow visitors and residents greater access to shoreline amenities. Today’s announcement will complement those efforts and provide yet another option to explore the spectacular views from our most scenic waterways and shorelines."
Ottawa Boat Cruise offers a variety of tours, seven days a week, which can be booked in person and online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.