Paddlewheel Princess blaze lit by 4 teens, police say
50-year-old riverboat once cruised between Lockport and Lower Fort Garry but has sat in slough since 2011
Four teens have been charged with arson in connection with the fire that destroyed the Paddlewheel Princess riverboat.
The historic boat went up in flames while moored in a Selkirk slough on May 9.
The 50-year-old riverboat once cruised between Lockport and Lower Fort Garry but has sat boarded up since 2011, while the owner made a number of attempts to sell it.
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A 17-year-old boy from Lockport, a 17-year-old boy from the rural municipality of St. Clements, a 17-year-old boy from Selkirk and a 15-year-old boy from Selkirk were arrested and charged in connection with the fire, RCMP said.
They have all been released from custody while awaiting court dates.
The Paddlewheel Princess was constructed in 1966, a year after Winnipegger Ray Senft built its sister ship, the Paddlewheel Queen.
Former captain Steve Hawchuk took the boat up and down Manitoba rivers until 2011, when he docked the boat and put it up for sale. He continued to sail the Queen until 2013.
Some of the VIP guests over the years on the Paddlewheel Queen and Princess include:
- Musician Burton Cummings
- KFC founder Colonel Harland Sanders
- Singer Frankie Valli
- Environmental activist David Suzuki
- Princess Anne
- Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
- Author and Academy Award-nominated actor Chief Dan George
- Musical-comedy duo Maclean and Maclean
