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Passenger riverboat traffic was revived on the Red River in 1965.
Mr.Raymond Senft a local entrepreneur wanted to recreate the atmosphere of the last century, the hey day of the riverboats.
He
began construction of the "M.S. Paddlewheel Queen" and had her built
in 80 days.The
riverboat was built in Selkirk by Purvis Boat Works and launched in July of
that year.
The MS Paddlewheel Queen was designed and built as a replica of the early
riverboats from the last century but built to present day safety and health
requirements by the Department of Transport.
The Queen was 90 feet long and had two decks. Due to the large demand by the public the Queen was cut in half in 1968, extended 24 feed and a third deck was constructed. The Paddlewheel Princess the sister ship to the Paddlewheel Queen was constructed in 1967.
The
hull measures 72 feet in length and has a beam of 24 feet. The Paddlewheel
Princess travels to Lower Fort Garry daily during July & August and is
also very popular for private charters such as weddings, anniversaries and
conventions. For many years the riverboats home port and dock was at the Redwood
dock, just north of the Redwood Bridge.
In 1984 the dock location was moved to Kildonan just north of Kildonan Park.
In 1988 the City of Winnipeg decided to construct a bridge over the river
at our dock site.
This forced the riverboat operation to move again. The Forks Development Project was underway at this time in downtown Winnipeg at the forks of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers. The three levels of government undertook to redevelop and revive the rich history of this area which served as a meeting place for Indian, Metis and furtraders.
This
area was also part of the early riverboat history since 1859. As the early
riverboats played a large part in the development and expansion of Winnipeg,
a home for the Paddlewheel Queen was established at the forks. Changes had
to be made to the Paddlewheel Queen to be able to sail to her new dock. In
the spring of 1989 the third deck and wheelhouse were removed.
The wheelhouse and giftshop were relocated to the second or "B"
deck. This was necessary to enable the riverboat to pass under the many bridges
in downtown Winnipeg. Now after 20 years the Paddlewheel Queen is once again
a two deck riverboat.
Today the MS Paddlewheel Queen's overall length is 147 feet. She has a 32 foot beam and has a draught of only 4 feet. She is powered by twin Detroit diesel engines, and a third diesel runs the generator, which produces the electricity for the ship. Our specially constructed ramps enable us to land anywhere along the river without a dock as did the early riverboats.
In 2005 new Transport Canada safety regulations required a total overhaul of the Queen's hull, bulkheads, plumbing , and electrical wiring to be upgraded.
Her capacity is 400 passengers. Both vessels are fully licensed by the Manitoba Liquor Board. This enables you to have beer, wine and cocktails anywhere on board the ships. A giftshop is located just aft of the wheelhouse on "B" deck. Here you may find a momento of your visit to Winnipeg and the MS Paddlewheel Queen.
The
MS Paddlewheel Queen and the MS Padlewheel Princess dock along side each other
at our home port at the Alexander Docks
Both riverboats provide the same menus, entertainment and service, and depending
on demand sail daily on luncheon and dinner cruises.
The Paddlewheel Princess is very popular with weddings, conventions and private charters. Both vessels are fully inspected for your safety by the Federal Department of Transport and carry a full compliment of safety equipment.