| Some time ago I noticed these odd shaped | | | | story about Old Toronto City Hall, where a |
| colourful bus-type vehicles in the streets of | | | | famous architect took revenge on Toronto city |
| Toronto, and I was wondering what they were. I | | | | counsellors who criticized him for his cost |
| caught a second glimpse and I saw "Toronto | | | | overruns by depicting their likenesses as ugly |
| Hippo Tours", and I realized that these buses | | | | gargoyles. We then headed up University Avenue |
| carry sightseeing passengers not just on the | | | | past Queens Park (the provincial government |
| streets of Toronto, but also in the waters of | | | | buildings) and on to the University of Toronto |
| Lake Ontario. Considering that this form of | | | | campus.From there we snaked our way down |
| intermodal transportation is definitely | | | | through the Garment District, admiring all of |
| unconventional, it just recently came to me that I | | | | Toronto's loft conversions and condo |
| should do an interview with this company and go | | | | developments past the CNE grounds (the |
| on one of the vehicles myself.They are definitely | | | | Canadian National Exhibition grounds) to a ramp |
| funny looking vehicles with a rounded snout, bright | | | | near Ontario Place, where we were getting ready |
| painting saying "Ride the Hippo", and an entry at | | | | for THE BIG SPLASH - the Hippo's entry into the |
| the rear where you board walking up a set of | | | | water.It sure was a weird feeling, being on a bus |
| retractable metal stairs.Today I met with Drew | | | | whose windshield is all of a sudden fully |
| O'Gilvie who is the Director of Sales and Marketing | | | | submerged by water. But the vehicle straightened |
| for Toronto Hippo Tours. Drew used to be a | | | | itself out pretty quickly and we started chugging |
| Director of Sales for Delta Hotels and obviously | | | | slowly into the waters surrounding Ontario Place. |
| has a lot of tourism-related marketing | | | | "Happy the Hippo's" top speed is about 5 knots, |
| experience.1. Please tell us who came up with the | | | | and the vehicle has a single engine that propels |
| idea of creating a company with a bus that | | | | the bus' transmission on land as well as the |
| floats? How long has the company been in | | | | propeller in the water. At 20 tons it's a pretty |
| business?Geoffrey Lind founded Toronto Hippo | | | | heavy vehicle and a special ramp had to be built |
| Tours 5 years ago since he wanted to bring the | | | | to give it access to Lake Ontario.We took a little |
| "duck concept", the famous amphibian vehicle | | | | spin over off the west end of the Exhibition |
| tours in Boston, to Toronto. Last year the | | | | Grounds where we had a good look at Toronto's |
| company had 25,000 passengers and we expect | | | | only wind turbine (we are finally making |
| to far surpass that number this year. Rather than | | | | baby-steps towards greener energy production....) |
| calling ourselves a sightseeing company, we | | | | where we turned around and headed back |
| consider ourselves an "urban safari", a true urban | | | | towards Ontario place.While Dan was driving during |
| adventure.2. How many Hippos are there? What | | | | the water portion of the trip, Catherine, the other |
| makes them special?We currently have 2 vehicles | | | | captain, and I stood at the back of the vessel and |
| in operation with a 3rd one that was just recently | | | | had a great conversation. Catherine is a former |
| completed and is just waiting for final licenses, a | | | | insurance sales expert and after being laid off she |
| complicated process that involves federal and | | | | went into a completely new career - first as a |
| provincial authorities and safety checks. The | | | | Hippo tour guide, and she has also become a fully |
| vehicles are Canadian-designed and built, based on | | | | certified and licensed Hippo captain. Catherine also |
| a school-bus platform. Contrary to other places, | | | | knows lots about fixing the vehicle and doesn't |
| they are not recycled WWII or Korean war | | | | mind getting her fingers greasy when she |
| amphibian vehicles. They are carefully | | | | performs maintenance duties on the bus on a |
| safety-checked and greased every morning. We | | | | daily basis. In her off -months from November to |
| affectionately call our 3 amphibian vehicles Harry, | | | | April Catherine does some cool things, such as |
| Happy and Henrietta, our newest addition.3. Please | | | | volunteering her services to an animal |
| tell us about your route and your schedule. Are | | | | conservation area to protect sloths in Costa Rica, |
| the tours narrated?The Hippo tours are 1.5 hours | | | | or travelling extensively to Cuba. As a matter of |
| long and spend about 1 hour on land covering the | | | | fact, Catherine is a pretty cool and interesting |
| major Toronto sites, all professionally narrated by | | | | individual herself and I will be doing a follow-up |
| a tour guide who is also licensed in first-aid. We | | | | intereview with her in the near future.Back on land |
| run tours from the beginning of May to the end | | | | we passed by Harbourfront and headed back up |
| of October every hour from 11 am to 6 pm.4. | | | | towards the famous Royal York hotel. Shortly |
| Please tell us about the prices. Is it possible to | | | | after we made a quick turn left and headed back |
| book the vehicles for a private outing?Prices are | | | | to the Hippo Tours parking spot at 151 Front |
| very reasonable at C$35.00 per adult, or C$30.00 | | | | Street, just a tiny bit east of the CN Tower and |
| for seniors or students, and C$23.00 for children | | | | the Rogers Centre (formerly called the |
| 12 years and under. The vehicles can also be | | | | Skydome), Toronto's multi-purpose stadium with |
| chartered and are frequently rented for special | | | | the retractable roof.Catherine and I had a chance |
| occasions both by business organizations and | | | | to catch up for about 10 minutes after the tour |
| private individuals for birthday parties. At | | | | was over, and we briefly talked about doing a |
| C$500.00 per outing, which holds 40 passengers, | | | | language study trip to Cuba, something that |
| this can be an extremely affordable special | | | | Catherine was interested in. I shared some |
| event.5. Please comment on the special training | | | | information with her since I have had the |
| that your captains and tour guides receive.Our | | | | opportunity to study Spanish at the University of |
| guides are certified in St. John's Ambulance and | | | | Havana earlier this year.It seems to me that |
| CPR, and are all restricted engineers. They | | | | Catherine is a bit of an adventurer and I am really |
| undergo strict testing with government authorities | | | | looking forward to catching up with her to find |
| as marine captains and they have to obtain | | | | out more about her new, unconventional lifestyle |
| licenses to become school-bus drivers for | | | | that went from corporate sales to being a road |
| operating the vessel on land.After interviewing | | | | lake captain for 6 months of the year, and doing |
| Drew, I had a chance to actually sample the Hippo | | | | some other cool stuff in the months |
| experience myself and I got on board, plunking | | | | between..Thanks again to Drew and the whole |
| myself down right behind the Captain, who in this | | | | crew at Toronto Hippo Tours for spending their |
| case was a sporty-looking lady by the name of | | | | time with me and for giving me the opportunity |
| Catherine. We had another tour guide who | | | | to explore Toronto on a bus - on land and on the |
| competently and entertainingly mentioned the | | | | water.......Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a |
| major sights along the way and cracked some | | | | website called Travel and Transitions( Travel and |
| dry jokes in between. Another guide by the name | | | | Transitions deals with unconventional travel and is |
| of Dan also accompanied us. He is just finishing up | | | | chock full of advice, tips, real life travel |
| his road licensing and has already completed the | | | | experiences, interviews with travellers and travel |
| marine portion of the licensing process.The vehicle | | | | experts, insights and reflections, cross-cultural |
| passes through the streets of Toronto at a very | | | | issues, contests and many other features. You will |
| leisurely pace. Our route included major sites such | | | | also find stories about life and the transitions that |
| as the Royal York Hotel, Union Station, Yonge | | | | we face as we go through our own personal |
| Street with the Bay, the Eaton Centre and | | | | life-long journeys.Submit your own travel stories in |
| Dundas Square. We then headed over on Elm | | | | our first travel story contest( and have a chance |
| Street and down on Bay Street past Old and | | | | to win an amazing adventure cruise on the |
| New City Hall. I particularly enjoyed the gargoyle | | | | Amazon River. |