More than 4,700 visitors arrived on the first two cruise ships of the 2023 season to dock in Prince Rupert on May 3 and 4. Each passenger had the opportunity to partake in the city’s most recent tourist attraction offered by the new Olde Time Trolley Company.
The idea for street cars was born back in November 2022 after it was acknowledged there were necessities needed to develop tourism in the city and the cruise ship industry mentioned that transportation gaps were required to be filled. The trolleys were one of those unique experiences that ticked all the boxes, he said, where there is something interesting to ride and that can tell a story.
He took his eight-year-old daughter with him on the trip. It was made a family memory as they had to build the loading ramps themselves for the trams to be ladened on the back of transport trucks for the road journey north of the border. Because the vehicles had been sitting for a while, some updates were required, such as new brakes and tires. To pass federal and provincial inspections, the signage inside the buses needed to be bilingual. They also painted the outside of the trollies, sanded and re-varnished all the bench seats.
“To be very clear, as well, too. It’s not just for cruise ships. We plan to be open to tourism and in between the cruise ship days as well. So we’re working out a way that we can sell tickets and schedule all that,” adding prices of tickets still needs to be worked out.