About Us

 

 

 

 

 

The M.S. River Rouge is Canada’s largest river cruise ship, and from May to October it can be seen navigating down the Red and Assiniboine Rivers and the surrounding countryside.  With its upper and lower deck it can accommodate up to 400 passengers for either private charters or public sight-seeing cruises.  The M.S. River Rouge is 150 feet long, has a 32 foot beam, and weighs 400 tonnes.  It has a shallow V hull and draws 4 feet of water, is powered by twin marine diesel engines, and is capable of doing over 7 knots.

The idea for the M.S. River Rouge came about in the early 1960’s by founder Commodore Dan Richie. It took three years of planning and formulating ideas to gain approval from the Federal Department of Transport before actual building could begin by Selkirk Machine and Purvis Boat Yards in Selkirk, Manitoba.  Eventually in 1965, the all-steel hull and superstructure ship began to take shape, and by May 1967, the M.S. River Rouge was launched, and not long after the craft’s midship was lengthened in 1969 as a result of turning away as many passengers as they were carrying.  The following year, in 1970, the ship was once again lengthened, this time creating a private stern stateroom specifically built to welcome H.R.H. Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, Kensington Palace, during her visit to Winnipeg with Lord Snowdon. 

   In 1986, Commodore Dan Richie sold the popular M.S. River Rouge to follow his life long dream to operate a wildlife and environmental sanctuary near Birds Hill Park, now known as Pine Ridge Wildlife. Since that time, the ship has changed hands twice, and is currently owned and operated by entrepreneur Kyriakos Vogiatzakis, who purchased the ship in the beginning of January of 2007.  He is committed to reviving the legacy of the M.S. River Rouge that once carried over 100,000 passengers in a single summer throughout its prime in the mid 1970’s. During the spring of 2007, his vision to recreate the ship as a Winnipeg landmark had begun, combining both style and class through an extensive renovation and innovative marketing, that has established the M.S. River Rouge as Winnipeg’s Premiere Cruise Ship.