In 1965 a retired businessman who lived along the Red River commissioned local shipbuilders Bill Purvis and Ted Purvis to design and create a replica of a Mississippi-style river boat. The task was completed in a mere 80 days at a cost of $200,000 and set sail early that summer. It soon attracted hundreds to a dine-and dance cruise that started out in Winnipeg and made its way up the picturesque river to the town of Selkirk some 35 kilometers away. A second level was added to handle the volume of passengers, and then a third.
At 140 feet long, carrying 400 people at a time, the Paddlewheel Queen was Canada’s largest cruise ship, sailing daily through the summer months. The boat was a major tourist attraction, counting Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, the restauranter Colonel Sanders, and members of British royalty among its guests.
Live music was always a part of the action on board. On stage were local stars such as Burton Cummings and The Deverons, The Guess Who, Neil Young and The Squires, and even in 1981, a solo concert by Franki Valli.
The passion for river cruising gradually diminished, and in 2013 the Paddlewheel Queen sailed its final event. It was dismantled three years later but remains in the memory of thousands of Manitobans who experienced the glory of a genuine river cruiser.
“The river is a storybook, and the paddlewheel boat is the pen that writes it.” ~ Mark Twain
Location: Selkirk, Manitoba
Date: Summer 1980
Source: Pentax ME Super with Fuji Black and White Film
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