This weekend marks the end of an era for one of the region’s most popular tourist attractions.
After almost two decades in business, the Reversing Falls jet boat will be up for sale Saturday in Saint John, along with everything else on site.
“It’s a shame,” says jet boat owner Marc Gosselin. “We do not have the energy to do it anymore. We tried to sell it, we tried to give it away and nobody even wanted it.”
The jet boat ride brought thousands of people to the Reversing Falls every summer.
“We bring approximately 40,000 people a year down here on our tours from the cruise ships,” says Gosselin.
Terry Stevens runs a zip-line company in the area. He says he is saddened by the loss of a good neighbour.
“He’s brought people here for 19 years. That’s a long time. He’s done his time, but there are other ideas out there,” says Stevens. “There’s other people with money that could come into this location and build this up. This could be the Magic Mountain of Saint John.”
Danielle Timmons say Fallsview Park needs some attention, now more than ever.
“There’s a huge potential to make this a wow for people who visit Saint John instead of what it is now, which is slightly embarrassing at times,” says Timmons.
While it was primarily in the tourism business, the jet boat was occasionally conscripted into the lifesaving business as well, called out by police and fire authorities to rescue people who got into trouble on the Bay of Fundy or St. John River.
The jet boat’s final voyage will take place Saturday.
“That’s it, tomorrow from 9:30 until 1:00 and after that we close down,” says Gosselin. “I have to be working somewhere else on Monday.”
He says he will miss his customers most of all.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Mike Cameron
