Ottawa Boat Cruise will bring boat tours of northern Rideau Canal back in 2016

Parks Canada has chosen Ottawa Boat Cruise to bring back boat tours on the northernmost stretch of the Rideau Canal in 2016.

In an email, Parks Canada said the more than 30-year-old company, which currently runs Ottawa River cruises, beat out two other bids after the department's request for proposals earlier this year.

"Parks Canada is now working with Ottawa Boat Cruises Inc. (Croisières Outaouais) to detail the full package of services that will be offered, with implementation scheduled to start in 2016," the statement said.

"One of the services will be a new tour boat which will begin operations in the 2016 navigation season. Details on other offerings will be announced at a later date once an agreement has been signed."

The Parks Canada request for proposals went out March 25 of this year and asked for a company willing to pay either $75,000 or six per cent of revenue, whichever was higher, during a 10- to 42-year contract.

The winning company would provide "innovative visitor experiences and leading edge services that will maximize the potential of Canada's Rideau Canal in Ottawa," according to the request.

Services would start no later than Friday, May 20, 2016, which is the day before the Victoria Day long weekend.

Winning bid buys former tour operator

Ottawa Boat Cruise sent out a news release Friday saying they had acquired Paul's Boat Lines and had a "big announcement for the new 2016-17 summer season" to make on Tuesday.

Paul's Boat Lines had run boat tours of the Ottawa section of the Rideau Canal from 1949 until 2014.

Dan Duhamel, president of Paul's Boat Lines, told CBC News in April he wouldn't be running tours in the summer of 2015 because he wasn't able to come to terms with Parks Canada on a long-term contract.

In a brief phone interview from the world skeet shooting championships in San Antonio, Duhamel said he thinks Ottawa Boat Cruises will bring Rideau Canal tours to a higher level.

"I think Ottawa Boat Cruise has a lot of depth and I think they'll do very well with the whole thing, I think they'll help bring a lot of people back into Ottawa," he said.

"[I have] total support for these people."

Ottawa Boat Cruise owner Robert Taillefer wasn't immediately available for comment and Parks Canada declined further comment.

"Unfortunately, given the communications protocol during the election we will not be able to accommodate an interview," Parks Canada spokeswoman Meaghan Bradley told CBC News in an email.