Water-bus service relaunches with bigger boat

After staying docked last summer, the water-bus service stationed at The Forks is once again ferrying people up and down the Red and Assiniboine rivers.

Winnipeg Waterways launched the service for the season on Saturday, introducing commuters to the largest water bus the company has ever operated — a 10-metre-long, custom-made vessel designed specifically for scheduled passenger service.

Named after co-owners Will Belford’s and Griffin Hewitt’s fathers, the GTS (Gas Turbine Ship) Dave was built by a company in Quebec for $200,000.

“We see the rivers as being underutilized,” Belford said on Wednesday. “So we felt strongly about investing in the water bus.”

Winnipeg Waterways has operated boat tours at The Forks since May 2024 and began offering the water-bus service that August — marking the first time in six years that the Red and Assiniboine rivers had been used for transit. The company used two small pontoon boats to transport people to docks around the city centre.

The six-week season saw hundreds of visitors and was almost constantly at capacity, Belford said. When he and Hewitt realized the two boats they were using for the service were too old and not able to meet the level of demand, they designed and commissioned the GTS Dave.

Belford and Hewitt hoped the boat would be ready in time for the 2025 season, but Transport Canada took longer than expected to approve it as a passenger vessel and the business partners decided to hold off on offering the water-bus service until the new boat was ready.

Changing water levels, debris and strong currents in the Assiniboine River delayed the start of the season this year until conditions became safe and predictable, Belford said.

“Last year, the delay of the boat was gut-wrenching,” he said. “We really felt quite bad, and so we were anxious to get started this year. Now the water level is finally cooperating.”

The new boat can hold up to 30 passengers. It features a wide centre aisle, bench seating and a bathroom. Riders are welcome to bring bicycles, strollers, mobility aids and pets on board, Belford said, making it easy to combine a boat ride with cycling or walking.

The water bus operates Wednesday through Monday from 1 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Stops include docks at The Forks, Hugo, Norwood and Stephen Juba Park.

Winnipeg Waterways has created a schedule so that passengers know when the water bus will arrive, and the company offers a live online map showing the boat’s location at all times.

The company has also introduced a tiered fare system, Belford said. Riders can purchase single fares, unlimited day passes, unlimited three-day passes or unlimited monthly passes.

Reduced fares from both St. Boniface docks make travelling to The Forks and the Exchange District more affordable, he said, while unlimited passes encourage people to use the water bus as part of a full day, weekend or month of exploring the city.

Belford hopes people try it.

“The amount (of time) that we get to spend on the water is just so luxurious and we just want to share that with folks,” he said. “It’s cooler than when you’re walking around on the pavement, it’s quieter than walking down the street and you get to see critters — deer and beavers and muskrats and all sorts of birds and stuff like that. It’s just so nice.”

The Forks, which provided financing for the new boat, is excited that the water-bus service is back, said Adam Dooley, director of corporate communications.

“Viewing the city from the river gives you an entirely new perspective on the city,” he said. “One of our mandates, we feel, is to connect neighbourhoods. We do that in the winter with the skating trail and we do that in the summer with the water bus.”

Winnipeg Waterways will offer the water-bus service until at least Labour Day long weekend, Belford said.

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca