2025-06-20 • Halifax • Staff
During this year’s Pride festival, people in Halifax will have a new way to check out the city and queer history. Halifax Harbour Tours will be offering informative and fun tours narrated by local historian Dan MacKay aboard the harbour’s only electric boat.
Co-owner, Glenna Thornhill is excited to finally get this project on the water: "We have been exploring a number of ideas for informative and interesting theme tours for a few years. This tour was created out of a desire to share information and knowledge in a novel and accessible way and not just to capitalize on an event."
"One of our captains, Lee Anne Arsenault, suggested the possibility of a tour during Pride week," said Thornhill, "and I felt this was a great idea! There is an interest in learning more about the history of the LGBTQIA2S+ community in Halifax and Pride week is a great opportunity to offer this to the public."
The one-hour tour will be aboard the Violet Mac which is the only electric boat on the harbour. This means it is extremely quiet and odour free. The boat holds eight passengers and has been offering tours for seven summers.
"It is an intimate setting that allows for conversation at a regular volume while taking in the sights of the cityscape and waterfront," says Thornhill.
The tour departs from the dock at Sackville Landing, cruising south to Pier 21, then north to the dockyard, and back again to the dock.
The boat is a repurposed river launch originally used on the Thames River, then was a tour boat, The Everglade Queen in Florida, before the owner Colin Smith found it in a boatyard in Ohio and brought it to Nova Scotia. "It was a labour of love to revise the diesel propulsion system to electric and build the cabin from salvaged Douglas fir lumber," says Smith. While many of the fixtures and fittings are vintage, the boat meets Transport Canada standards and all captains are trained and certified.
"I'm pleased to have engaged local community historian Dan Mackay to be the history tour guide," says Thornhill, "He has an extensive knowledge and experience offering tours."
The tours will be offered at 8pm from Sunday July 20th to Wednesday July 23rd. Tickets cost $50 plus HST per person and can be booked at www.halifaxharbourtours.ca You can call 1-888-383-4621 for information.
