Latest news with #tours
CTV News
a day ago
- Business
- CTV News
Halifax company brings adventure to the waterfront
There was a vacancy on the Halifax waterfront for adventures, so Omar Hasson decided to fill it. 'Halifax is a coastal city, and it's right on the harbor,' he said. 'The harbour has a lot of history, a lot of great things to see between islands, forests, marine life, you name it. 'So, we thought, you know what? Why don't we institute together something fun and exciting?' After visiting Vancouver and experiencing a similar type of attraction, Hassan and his business partner, Ossama Nasrallah, decided to start Harbour Watercraft Tours & Adventure Rentals in 2019. 'Halifax year over year has been having great additions to what people can do. But back in 2018, there wasn't nearly as much of the activities that you can do now,' said Hassan. 'It wasn't easy by any means, especially rental in the Halifax Harbour. And then two students trying to get that started. 'Our most proud moment is having one employee at the time, one full time employee, and as of now, we have 17 between full time and parttime.' The pair were roommates at Saint Mary's University. Hassan moved to the Maritimes from Egypt in 2012. It started smaller with Sea-Doo rentals and kayaking, and has continued to grow over the years. Sea-Doos Harbour Watercraft Tours & Adventure Rentals runs from May to October. (Source: Brianne Foley/CTV News Atlantic) 'You have cruises, you have kayaks, you have deep-sea fishing. And you have guided tours that people can learn a little bit about the history,' Hassan said. Hassan focuses on the history of the city when giving guided kayaks tours, as well as a faster speedboat cruise. 'Halifax carries a ton of history and really cool facts. There's a bunch of Volkswagens at the very bottom of the Bedford Basin. Did you know that?' he said. 'Fishing was introduced back in 2023. And then from there it really boomed. People have been loving it. Rain or shine, which we love actually, because normally when it's raining, everything else shuts down. But then the fishing kind of keeps going and people love it.' The deep-sea fishing appeals to tourists and locals alike. 'It's about 40 per cent to 60 per cent local and verse tourists. It's very independent of the year,' he said. 'We sometimes consider all of the Maritimes locals, including New Brunswick, P.E.I. But if we if we would focus only on Halifax and Halifax customers, those would be more in the 40 per cent of our customers.' For those looking to rent a Sea-Doo in the harbour, there is an age limit and a 30-minute lesson. 'From there that's when they always go out with a guide. All the machines are monitored and geofenced,' he said. 'With the kayaks, we wanted something more relaxing. Still an adventure that's kind of the basis of all our offerings, but something more exciting as well.' They operate mid-May through mid-October in Halifax. Halifax waterfront The Harbour Watercraft Tours & Adventure Rentals launched in 2019. (Source: Brianne Foley/CTV News Atlantic) For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
BBC News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Coronation St superfan tour guide follows in father's footsteps
A Coronation Street superfan has followed in his father's footsteps by leading more than 2,500 tours of the long-running soap opera's Owen, 59, has been running the tours since 2014 and won the Lifetime Achievement Award from The Coronation Street Experience in dad Bill Owen, who died in 2013, was a performer at the Granada Studios Tours on Quay Street in Manchester, where the ITV drama was originally filmed before moving to said of the tours and his late father: "It's a very special connection between us. In many ways, our lives have been intertwined." David said: "I do feel cheated that I never got to share my tour guide notes with him but I know he would have been incredibly proud."I can hear him saying, 'That's my boy'!"Around the time of his father's death, David said he was made redundant after nearly 30 years in a packing job at a said he was inspired to carry on the family legacy. "My dad was an amazing man – he was a big extrovert and truly my hero," said David."I felt very honoured to get the job – one to be following in my father's footsteps, but also to be doing this on such an amazing show."Coronation Street Studios in Salford is the world's largest single working production set in television. 'More than just a TV show' The Coronation Street experience can see up to 1,000 people visit over a weekend, with tourists coming from as far away as Canada and New Zealand. "It's more than just a TV show," said David of Corrie. "It's a huge part of British culture."Even after leading 2,500 tours, David insisted no two were ever alike. David recalled one tour which left a pair of New Zealand tourists in tears."When we started the tours at Quay Street, the character Hayley Cropper [played by Julie Hesmondhalgh] had died."She had a cardboard flowery coffin, we had it in the props display, and these two ladies from New Zealand saw her name on it and they were in tears."We didn't know at the time but New Zealand were two years behind in the plot lines, so at the time in New Zealand, Hayley was alive and well!"The famous cobbles of the Coronation Street set have seen it all over the one tour, David said he witnessed a proposal outside the Rovers said: "They just got a massive round of applause and they were both in tears."I was nearly tearing up myself to be honest with you – it was so lovely." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Will our favourite music artists ever make it to New Zealand?
Muso and Afternoons regular Chris Schulz says we need big artists, major shows and large-scale touring to return to Aotearoa - immediately. Recently, the likes of Taylor Swift, Oasis, Billie Eilish, Green Day, The Killers, Katy Perry, Korn and Kylie Minogue have toured the globe extensively, including Australia - but then gave New Zealand a wide berth. Xzibit, Nelly, Blink-182, Tenacious D and Public Enemy have announced New Zealand shows and then pulled the plug. Festivals Bay Dreams and Splore are on hiatus, while we've already lost Nest Fest, Morningside Bloc Party, Juicy Fest and the Timeless Tour for various reasons. Chris has vented his frustration on his Boiler Room blog and joins Jesse for a rant. Photo: JULIEN DE ROSA/AFP
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Like father like son - Corrie superfan follows in late dad's tour guide footsteps
A Corrie superfan has followed in his late father's footsteps and led more than 2,500 tours of the famous TV set visited by thousands each weekend. David Owen, 59, has been leading Coronation Street tours, which were first operated from the old Granada Studios in Quay Street before moving to the current ITV Studios at Media City, since 2014. His late father, Bill Owen, worked as a performer at the old Granada Studios tour for several years, but sadly died in 2013 before David started working there – meaning he 'never got a chance to compare notes with him'. David has been determined to continue his father's legacy, however, and has been leading the 90-minute tours at The Coronation Street Experience at ITV Studios, the world's largest single TV production site, every weekend. He has witnessed tears from guests and a recent proposal during his tours, and said he loves 'seeing the joy it brings to visitors of all ages'. READ MORE: When 'One Punch' Paul Doyle and Billy Webb clashed in nightclub door wars READ MORE: Girl, 13, 'topples into reservoir in front of her dad while taking photo' Speaking about his late father, David, from Dukinfield, Tameside, said: "It's a very special connection between us – in many ways, our lives have been intertwined. "I do feel cheated that I never got to share my tour guide notes with him, as he passed away in 2013, just before I started at Quay Street, but I know he would have been incredibly proud. I can hear him saying, 'That's my boy'." David explained that he has loved Coronation Street for 'as long as (he) can remember'. He recalls watching the 'topical' TV soap with his parents during his childhood in the 1960s and 1970s, and loving the 'northern humour'. He said: "For people of my vintage, it was always a family thing to watch Coronation Street. Back in the day, it was only Mondays and Wednesdays at 7.30pm, both half an hour episodes. "I'd sit down with mum and dad, they had two chairs in the living room, and I'd sit in between them on the floor watching Coronation Street." David said he remembers characters such as Jack Walker, who was the landlord of the Rovers pub, and Albert Tatlock, who was Weatherfield's resident war veteran. He even remembers one specific episode from 1971, which left him unable to sleep for weeks. He said: "There is one episode from 1971 when the character Valerie Barlow got electrocuted by a plug. The socket of a plug fell off and she was electrocuted – it was a hair dryer plug – and it frightened me to death, and it kept me away from plug sockets for years." Growing up, David said he loved watching the 'strong women' in the show, including characters like Annie Walker, Elsie Tanner and Ena Sharples, and one of his current favourites is Glenda Shuttleworth. He said the 'writing is absolutely brilliant' and, given the show references real places near his hometown, he has felt personally connected to it. Moreover, his late father Bill worked at the Granada Studios tour in Quay Street, where the old Coronation Street set was located, further inspiring his love for the soap. "My dad was an amazing man – he was a big extrovert and truly my hero," David explained. "He worked at Granada Studios for many years... but unfortunately, when I started doing guided tours there in 2014, he had not long passed away, so I never got a chance to compare notes with him." Bill passed away in 2013, aged 71, and, around this time, David was made redundant after nearly 30 years in a factory packaging job. He was looking for new opportunities and stumbled across a job advert for the Coronation Street tours and decided to "go for it" – and he was successful. He then started leading tours at the Quay Street site in 2014 before working from the current ITV Studios location in 2018. "It's quite surreal the way it worked out," David said. "I felt very honoured to get the job – one to be following in my father's footsteps, but also to be doing this on such an amazing show." David believes he has led around 2,500 tours for The Coronation Street Experience to date – and he has no plans of stopping anytime soon. David, who won the Lifetime Achievement Award from The Coronation Street Experience in 2022, said "no two tours are ever alike" – and although he has a script to follow, he enjoys injecting his own humour and personality into it. He said he runs three tours on a Saturday and Sunday, and guests from all over the world, including New Zealand and Canada, visit the set. On each day over a weekend, the site can see an average of 1,000 people visiting. Recalling one memory which left two women from New Zealand very emotional, he said: "When we started the tours at Quay Street... the character Hayley Cropper had died after suffering from pancreatic cancer. She had a cardboard flowery coffin, and we had it in the props display, and these two ladies from New Zealand saw her name on it and they were in tears. "We didn't know at the time, but New Zealand were two years behind in the plot lines, so at the time in New Zealand, Hayley was alive and well." Most recently, David witnessed a proposal outside the Rovers pub during one of his tours – and he said it was 'lovely' to see. "They just got a massive round of applause, and they were both in tears," he said. "I was nearly tearing up myself to be honest with you – it was so lovely." David said seeing people's enthusiasm gives him 'such a buzz' and he aims to give every guest 'the best tour possible'. He said leading tours for The Coronation Street Experience, which is operated by Continuum Attractions, is 'an honour' and he hopes to one day feature as an extra in the show. "It's more than just a TV show – it's a huge part of British culture," he said.
CBC
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Montreal A to V: Deep inside this hidden cave in Saint-Léonard
Tucked beneath Pie XII Park in Saint-Léonard lies a surprising geological wonder: the Saint-Léonard Cavern, affectionately known as the Fairy Hole. Discovered accidentally in 1812, this limestone cave dates back more than 15,000 years, and it's just steps from a city bus stop. As a new season of tours begins, Debra Arbec goes underground in this episode of the A to V series to give us a sneak peek before the crowds arrive.
