Canada's Largest Electric Tour Boat Launched

 

The 75-foot, 100-passenger vessel Queen Elizabeth Dr. is the first of two planned vessels to offer guided tours and host events on the canal. The second, Colonel By, is expected to enter service in the spring of 2017.

 

“Torqeedo's high-power Deep Blue system was the obvious choice to propel Canada's largest electric passenger vessel because of its comprehensive safety systems,” said Robert Taillefer, owner of The Queen Elizabeth Dr. and operator of Ottawa Boat Cruises. “These systems were fully vetted by the Canadian government in order to have the vessel certified.”

 

The 1.5 hour tour travels from Chateau Laurier to Dow's Lake, passing more than 30 of Ottawa's landmarks, and runs four times a day. The Queen Elizabeth Dr. has two Deep Blue systems installed, but only one is used at a time. The canal is quite narrow for the long vessel; instead of turning around, it engages the second motor.

 

Meredith Brown, Ottawa's Riverkeeper, said, “Our organization is always happy to see new opportunities for people to connect with the river in a sustainable way, and there is nothing like a quiet electric motor to help everyone enjoy the natural sounds of the river.”

 

Queen Elizabeth Dr. was officially launched on June 9, 2016 by Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Minister responsible for Parks Canada and Member of Parliament for Ottawa Center.

 

Ottawa is familiar with the benefits of electric boating—a Torqeedo-powered water taxi has served the downtown area for several years. When Parks Canada opened an opportunity for a new tourism operation within the site, it specified that only electric boats would be considered.

 

The Deep Blue line provides the horsepower, torque and performance of a diesel or gasoline-powered engine, without the noise, fumes and pollutants. Torqeedo offers a wide range of outboard and inboard motors. They're powered by high-voltage lithium batteries with exceptionally fast recharge times.