Kenora cruise ship won't haul anchor.

• Author: Ross, Ian
• Position: NEWS

The co-owner of an iconic Lake of the Woods cruise ship said he's committed to keeping the M.S. Kenora on that city's waterfront.

A steady decline in passengers since 2001 had Allan Luby and his ownership group prepared-last fall to sail off for new waters with their 195-passenger vessel which has been a fixture on the scenic northwestern Ontario lake since 1984.

"It (tourism numbers) had dropped to the point where the boat was losing its viability to be in Kenora," said Luby, attributing part of the problem to a wider downward spiral in the North American travel industry.

Though reluctant to divulge what those ridership numbers were, and specific destinations they were exploring, "we were going to move it down from the south end of the lake into Duluth (Minn.), launch it there and take it anywhere."

Over the winter, Luby began working with the local business community, tourism and municipal staff to find a "home-grown solution" to better coordinate the cruises with waterfront events and concerts.

Luby said this past summer has been the M.S. Kenora's best season in the last five years.

A new Sioux Narrows-Nestor FaUs cruise was sold out this year with a waiting list.

Next year, the operators plan to introduce a pictographs cruise in partnership with a local canoe outfitter.

The vessel, which operates between May and late September, runs three cruises daily and is available for wedding and corporate charters. The scenery and wildlife sightseeing have been popular for passengers, as well as viewing the...