The co-owner of an iconic Lake of the Woods cruise ship said he's committed to keeping the M.S. Kenora on that city's waterfront.
A steady decline in passengers since 2001 had Allan Luby and his ownership group prepared last fall to sail off for new waters with their 195-passenger vessel which has been a fixture on the scenic northwestern Ontario lake since 1984.
“It (tourism numbers) had dropped to the point where the boat was losing its viability to be in Kenora,” said Luby, attributing part of the problem to a wider downward spiral in the North American travel industry.
Though reluctant to divulge what those ridership numbers were, and specific destinations they were exploring, “we were going to move it down from the south end of the lake into Duluth (Minn.), launch it there and take it anywhere.”
Over the winter, Luby began working with the local business community, tourism and municipal staff to find a “home-grown solution” to better coordinate the cruises with waterfront events and concerts.
Luby said this past summer has been the M.S. Kenora's best season in the last five years.
A new Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls cruise was sold out this year with a waiting list.
Next year, the operators plan to introduce a pictographs cruise in partnership with a local canoe outfitter.
The vessel, which operates between May and late September, runs three cruises daily and is available for wedding and corporate charters. The scenery and wildlife sightseeing have been popular for passengers, as well as viewing the multi-million dollar summer homes of the rich and famous.
But Luby said what's needed is a long-term vision to take stock of the tourism market, where new visitors will come from, and come up with new ways to attract them. The Lake of the Woods Economic Development Commission has committed to finding the dollars to do a business plan for the vessel.
He's pleased with the multi-million dollar capital investments to revitalize the downtown and waterfont, to construct a new tourist welcome centre, and the ongoing plans to four-lane the Trans-Canada Highway to the Manitoba border, which should bring in more travellers.
“There are all kinds of things that are coming together, and the city is doing a lot of the right things to make us more attractive to tourists. The development of this (business) plan is going to be a very positive and exciting move.”
Built in 1969 in Riverton, Man., the M.S. Kenora spent its early years sailing Lake Manitoba as a shallow draft supply freighter before it was brought to Kenora in 1984 where it was refitted as an excursion vessel.
The vessel employs between 22 and 25 people.