Free our boats, Kingston cruise operators urge federal government

Cruise boat operators in Kingston, Ont., say they'redesperately seekingto free vessels maroonedon the wrong side of theLaSalle Causeway as the damaged bridge remains closed and the beginning of the busy marine season nears.

With time running out, the companies have proposed opening up another section of the spanor hoisting their shipsover it.

The unexpected and total shutdown of the causewayhas left the CanadianEmpress, Island Belle and Island Star all high and dry blocked from the St. Lawrence River and the wharf where they pick up passengers.

They're trapped,saidEric Ferguson, general manager for Kingston 1000 Islands Cruises, which operates the IslandBelle and the Island Star.

"May is very busy in Kingston," he said."Mother's Day weekend is on the way. The Victoria Day weekend is on the way. We would expect to see thousandsof passengers. It is not an option to leave those vessels in the Inner Harbour."

No timeline for repairs

The causeway opened more than a century ago and isa key crossing between downtown Kingston and the city's eastern suburbs. Part of it is aBasculebridge, which usesa counterweight to letboats through.

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) said crews were carrying out scheduled repair work onMarch 30 when a steel truss supporting that counterweightwas damaged.

The bridge has beenclosed to all users ever since.

In an update on April 12, PSPC announced the bridge would remain closed for "several weeks." While it's working to open it as soon as possible, it has saidthe problemwould not be fixed in time for the beginning of the marine season on May 1.

That's left dozens of recreational and personal crafts stranded inthe Inner Harbour, just a short distance away, along with several cruise boats undergoing maintenance there during the off-season.

Kingston 1000 Islands Cruises and St. Lawrence Cruise Linessaid the impact of aclosure this spring could result in more than amillion dollarsin lost tourism and economic revenues.

Cruise tickets range from around$40 to $140, depending on the type of excursion. The prices swellupwards of$2,000 for overnight trips, according to prices listed on the cruise companies'websites.

PSPC says 1-time opening not possible

While the priority is getting the bridge open to regular traffic, the companies saidthey want a solution to their problem.

They say theirpreferred solution forretrieving their boats would be to have several temporary lifts of the bridge, either using its own mechanism or a crane.

In a statement, a PSPCspokesperson said they're aware the closure has "impacts on marine-based businesses."

However, "a one-time opening of the causeway to allow cruise ships through is not feasible," because the damage to the span prevents it from lifting, their statement said.

Over, under or through

Still, the cruise operators say they're determined to see their vessels somehow getthrough, under or over the causeway.

They've proposed removing a section of the concrete span from the causeway using a crane or barge, which would allow boats through.

Ferguson has another suggestion.

"Some of those tour boats could be lifted over the causeway," he said. They would use "big cranes," he explained, though acknowledged that would be a more"challenging" option.

His company is fortunate in one sense: one of their boats, thetriple-decked IslandQueen, is already moored on the correctside of the bridge after being put to work earlierthis year during a sold-out eclipse day cruise.

Ferguson said despite the difficulties, he's had encouraging conversations with PSPCandis confident a solution can be found sothe boats will be on the right side of the bridge by May.

"We are frustrated, but we're hopeful."