Hamilton Harbour Queen returns to her cruise loop
Businessman bought the boat after its tours were cancelled last fall
The Hamilton Harbour Queen has returned to the water just in time for a Canada Day fireworks cruise this week.
The beloved cruise boat took her last loop of the bay last fall, before the Hamilton Waterfront Trust pulled the plug, citing lowered ridership, high safety inspection costs and difficulty finding qualified staff.
But busienssman Albert Samee of Elko Industrial Trading Corp. stepped in and bought the boat, refurbished it and paid for it to be dry-docked and inspected. Transport Canada has granted a license to operate for the 2015-2016 season.
Built in 1958 in Owen Sound and originally named the Johnny B, the Harbour Queen first served as a Hamilton cruise ship in 2005. Since then, it has completed around 1,375 bay tours and transported a total of more than 108,000 passengers.