Kenora cruise ship won't haul anchor

An owner of a Lake of the Woods cruise ship said new developments will keep his vessel based on the Kenora waterfront.

In a Sept. 20 release, owner Allan Luby said 2011 was the “best season in five years” for the 195-passenger vessel, which operates excursions from Kenora's waterfront between May and late September.

First brought to the community in 1984, the vessel is considered an “anchor tourism product” of the community's redeveloped waterfront, said Dennis Wallace, chairman of the Lake of the Woods Development Commission.

Attendance had been falling off in recent years and the vessel owners were exploring other sites to operate.

Luby said discussions with Kenora's business community, tourism and economic development staff last winter laid the groundwork for a successful year by aligning cruises with new events at the Harbourfront.

Those talks led to the development of some new products, packaging and advertising. A new Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls cruise sold out this year with a waiting list.

“This is definitely a product we will continue to grow next year,” said Luby.

With a crew of five, the vessel runs three cruises daily and is available for charters for weddings, corporate cruises and special occasions.