Newport’s Sightseeing Boat
Newport missed the boat on an important part of the Lake Memphremagog asset.
Northern Star Lake Cruises stopped operation, and I feel a big part of its demise was the lack of interest by the town of Newport.
Tucked away in a remote slip, far from the view of the uninformed tourists and visitors, Newport’s own sightseeing boat failed. With just a little bit of help from Newport I feel this would not have been the case.
Some time back Northern Star Lake Cruises asked to be able to dock their boat by the gazebo, a positioning that would have put it front and center to the view of all visiting Newport. Their request was denied. It matters not the reason it was denied, it was denied.
Rather than view this request as a potentially good thing for the town the Newport officials decided they didn’t like the idea. It would have meant some reworking of the water area in front of the gazebo and a boarding area ramp. All of this could have been done to enhance the curb appeal of the waterfront and to bring repeat tourists to Newport. The town could have even required a name change for the boat if they wanted more publicity, possibly calling it Newport’s Star or Memphre Seeker or some other catchy name that would pose questions for the boarding public. Quite possibly it could have encouraged other business ventures.
It’s not too late to stake claim to the Lake’s treasure. Newport itself could own this big boat, hire its own employees and crew, publicize it and operate it as one of Newport’s most fun attractions. Uses for this boat could range from sightseeing, to weddings, to concert cruises, to transportation from Magog to Newport.
Newport missed the boat on an important part of the Lake Memphremagog asset.
Northern Star Lake Cruises stopped operation, and I feel a big part of its demise was the lack of interest by the town of Newport.
Tucked away in a remote slip, far from the view of the uninformed tourists and visitors, Newport’s own sightseeing boat failed. With just a little bit of help from Newport I feel this would not have been the case.
Some time back Northern Star Lake Cruises asked to be able to dock their boat by the gazebo, a positioning that would have put it front and center to the view of all visiting Newport. Their request was denied. It matters not the reason it was denied, it was denied.
Rather than view this request as a potentially good thing for the town the Newport officials decided they didn’t like the idea. It would have meant some reworking of the water area in front of the gazebo and a boarding area ramp. All of this could have been done to enhance the curb appeal of the waterfront and to bring repeat tourists to Newport. The town could have even required a name change for the boat if they wanted more publicity, possibly calling it Newport’s Star or Memphre Seeker or some other catchy name that would pose questions for the boarding public. Quite possibly it could have encouraged other business ventures.
It’s not too late to stake claim to the Lake’s treasure. Newport itself could own this big boat, hire its own employees and crew, publicize it and operate it as one of Newport’s most fun attractions. Uses for this boat could range from sightseeing, to weddings, to concert cruises, to transportation from Magog to Newport.