Maid of the Mist to return to Niagara Falls

Yes, this is good news.  Maid of the Mist to return to Niagara Falls this year, despite loss of contract. Operators of the Maid of the Mist say the popular tour boats will be back in the water this year on both sides of the Niagara River Gorge.

Photo courtesy of alirjd

The news comes after the Maid of the Mist Steamboat Company — which lost the contract to run the boats after 165 years — had warned the attraction might not open this year.

Niagara Falls' Maid of the Mist may soon come to an end

One of the largest tourist draws in Niagara Falls may not be open this year because the Maid of the Mist Steamboat Company has lost the contract to operate boats in the Niagara Gorge after 165 years.

Maid of the Mist-Photo courtesy of Reuters

The Niagara Parks Commission announced Wednesday it had awarded a 30-year land-lease agreement for boat tour operations in the Niagara Gorge to Hornblower Canada, a California-based company.

"This is a great day for the Niagara Parks Commission and a great day for the tourism industry in Niagara and across Ontario," chair Janice Thomson said in a release.

However, the Hornblower service isn't scheduled to begin until the spring of 2014 and the Maid of the Mist company isn't sure it can stay in business for this summer's tourist season.