M.S River Rouge not going down without a fight after dock closes

WINNIPEG — It’s been a Winnipeg tradition for decades but a calm summer cruise down the Red River is now a thing of the past, says its owner.

“This is all hitting me right now,” said an emotional Kyriakos Vogiatzakis, whose owned the boat for eight years.

Last summer, the Alexander Dock was damaged by river ice, and docking was prohibited. Now eight months later, the city has shut down the dock.

READ MORE: City of Winnipeg shuts down Alexander Docks due to safety concerns

“It’s closed now officially because of recent engineer assessments, it’s been closed to ensure the safety of the public,” said Micheal Jack, Acting Chief Operating Officer.

But for years, the M.S River Rouge docked there every summer.

“It automatically puts us out of business overnight,” said Vogiatzakis.

Vogiatzakis says after years of flooding and high river levels it’s been a struggle to keep the business afloat. He was hoping for a turn around this summer.

READ MORE: River Rouge cruise stuck in Selkirk

“Finally the one year there’s no flooding, I’m dealing with the City of Winnipeg bureaucracy,” said Vogiatzakis.

Shocked to learn Wednesday that he didn’t have a dock to use in three weeks, Vogiatzakis went straight to city hall and right into the mayor’s office.

Mayor Brian Bowman was in the office and came out to greet him,

While Bowman didn’t have time to meet with Vogiatzakis, but the Acting Chief Operating Officer did.

“We’re working with Mr. Vogiatzakis, in fact we committed to doing that today,” said Jack.

The city says it’s committed to searching for another dock he can use but Vogiatzakis is doubtful there is one that’s suitable for his boat.

The city says it doesn’t want to see the more than 50 year long tradition die.

“Our mayor has certainly expressed he is committed to doing whatever we could, it’s a Winnipeg institution,” said Jack.