Ride Solar
Offering two different kinds of tours across PEI and Halifax, Ride Solar has cemented itself as Canada’s first environmentally friendly tour company with both a water and land experience! The first fully solar-powered dinner cruise boat was created thanks to the hard work and dedication of Steve Arnold and Peter Ixkes, who co-founded “Ride Solar” in 2015.
They took the “GREEN” theme to heart and made the boat Green in more ways than one. Complete with a roof full of solar panels, this is the last remaining boat of the 8 “Vaporetto” model boats from the 1967 Montreal Expo. The dinner cruise boat currently offers a complete dining experience featuring extravagant meals serving fresh PEI ingredients, as well as displaying antique advertisements regarding the ’67 Expo. Thanks to the roof of solar panels, the refurbished 67’ Vaporetto is 100% green and a net-positive energy source.
Ride Solar also offers Party Bike tours. This is a new and fun experiential tour that focuses more on the PEI experience and less on the sightseeing expected on tours, instead visiting local restaurants, and serving assorted beverages along the way. The party bike seats up to 14 people with a minimum of 4 and is available for private bookings, making this a perfect idea for office parties and get-togethers.
This is not Steve Arnold’s first foray into creating a unique tourism experience on PEI. He is the mind behind the first multi-unit rotating house for guest stays, called “Around the Sea Rotating House & Vacation Rentals”. Peter Ixkes joined the Ride Solar business sharing his own experience in the green energy field from his other company, “VY Build Inc.”, a company that specializes in sustainable, energy-efficient construction.
Ride Solar was a two-time recipient of the Impact Loan from CBDC Central PEI, which assisted in the building of the boat, installation of electrical panels and motors.
While visiting PEI, Ride Solar is a must-see tourist attraction adventure, thanks to the unique nature of their tours and their eco-friendly structure.