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.
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| 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.
