Niagara Falls tour boat upgrades planned

BUFFALO -- The tour company chosen to take over the famous boat rides at the base of Niagara Falls said yesterday that it plans to build customized new boats and upgrade amenities while maintaining the things that have made the attraction a must-do for tourists for more than 100 years.

"We're not looking to change the basic experience. We're looking to improve and enhance it," said Tegan Firth, spokeswoman for Hornblower Canada Co., a day after Canadian officials awarded the company the rights to operate the tours offered by the Maid of the Mist Steamboat Co. since 1846. The 30-year contract takes effect in 2014.

San Francisco-based Hornblower Cruises and Events already operates the ferries to Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay and the Statue of Liberty. Pursuing the Niagara Falls contract in the first-ever open bidding process "was a great opportunity to be part of something very special," Firth said.

New York tourism and elected officials anxiously waited to see what effect the change would have on the Maid of the Mist tours that launch across the gorge from the New York shoreline. The Maid of the Mist operates boat trips from New York under a separate 40-year contract, good through 2042, with the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

Maid of the Mist president Christopher Glynn declined to comment yesterday. In a statement Wednesday, he said the loss of the Canadian contract created many uncertainties, including whether to operate the tours from Canada this year.

Among potential hurdles is offseason storage of boats used in New York. With control of both launch sites, the Maid of the Mist currently stores boats at the more spacious Canadian docks.