Solar-powered boat launched on Gatineau River ahead of Rideau Canal tours

A ship powered by solar panels on its roof was launched on the Gatineau River ahead of guided tours on the Rideau Canal this summer.

The Queen Elizabeth, launched by Ottawa Boat Cruise, is expected to start giving public tours between the National Arts Centre and Dow's Lakein mid-June after trial runs on the river.

One charge can power an eight- to nine-hour boat ride, said company president Robert Taillefer.

"It's completely electric. The biggest in North America," he said of the 100-person ship, whichwas built at Marc Marine in Gatineau.

Ottawa Boat Cruise won the tender issued by Parks Canada to have new boats on the northernmost stretch of the Rideau Canal.

Paul's Boat Lines had run boat tours on the Rideau Canal in Ottawa from 1949 until 2014.Dan Duhamel, president of Paul's Boat Lines previously told CBC News that he would not have boat tours in 2015 because he was not able to secure a long-term contract with Parks Canada.