Edmonton Riverboat facts for kids
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Quick facts for kids History |
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| Name |
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| Port of registry | Edmonton, Alberta |
| Builder |
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| Laid down | 1992 |
| Completed | 1995 |
| In service | July 26, 1996 |
| Identification | IMO number: 8888886 |
| Status | In service |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 750.49 GT |
| Length | 51.79 m (169 ft 11 in) |
| Beam | 12.01 m (39 ft 5 in) |
| Draft | 0.73 m (2 ft 5 in) |
| Propulsion |
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| Speed | 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Capacity | ~399 passengers |
| Crew | 10 |
The Edmonton Riverboat, once known as the Edmonton Queen, is a special riverboat that sails on the North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. This boat first began its journeys in 1995. It quickly became a popular attraction in Edmonton.
The Edmonton Riverboat is about 52 meters long. It can carry up to 399 passengers at a time. The boat mainly operates during the warmer summer months. This is because the river can get very cold and covered in ice during winter. Also, the river's water levels can change a lot.
History of the Riverboat
Building the Boat
On April 2, 1992, Jan Reimer, who was the Mayor of Edmonton, announced a big project. It was a CA$3.4-million plan to build a special dock for a new riverboat. The Canadian government and the provincial government helped pay for this project.
A company called Scott Steel, based in Edmonton, built the riverboat. However, they initially refused to hand over the boat. They said they were still owed CA$1.35-million for their work.
First Owners and Launch
Building a riverboat was a dream for Ray Collins, an Edmonton businessman. He started a company called the North Saskatchewan Riverboat Company. This company was supposed to operate the boat.
However, the North Saskatchewan Riverboat Company faced problems before the boat could even start sailing. So, the riverboat was sold to another company, Carrington Properties, for CA$500,000 in early 1995. The boat, then named Edmonton Queen, finally launched on the North Saskatchewan River on May 4, 1995.
New Name and Incidents
In April 2016, the boat was sold again in an auction for $553,000. After this sale, it went through many updates and repairs. It also got a new name: the Edmonton Riverboat.
The Edmonton Riverboat has had a few minor incidents over the years. For example, in July 2019, the boat got stuck on a sandbar (a shallow area of sand in the river). About 300 passengers on board were safely rescued by the Edmonton Fire Department.
In April 2020, the boat was damaged. Its bottom was punctured by one of the underwater concrete poles at the dock. This happened because the river's water level changed very quickly due to the spring thaw (when ice melts and water levels rise). As of June 2020, the riverboat was in Whitemud Park for repairs.
