Lady Dive

The Lady Dive was an amphibious sightseeing bus operating in Canada's capital. It was built by friends Jean Besner and Daniel Beauchesne, with Daniel's sister Diane Beauchesne as a partner, at St. Isidore east of Ottawa; Daniel Beauchesne's regular trade was maintaining large farm tractors.

Construction

The idea came after Daniel Beauchesne saw a converted military amphibian carrying about 20 tourists in Montreal. The partners bought two International Harvester school buses and, working without plans, stripped one down to its chassis and engine and built an entirely new hull and body on it. Apart from the boat-shaped nose and the window frames, they made everything themselves. The same engine drives the vehicle on land and, through a hydraulic system, turns a propeller in the water, while the steering wheel also moves the rudder. A marine architect working through the Coast Guard inspected the bus and required changes before it was licensed to carry passengers afloat.

Operation

Built in 1998, the Lady Dive carried 40 passengers plus two crew on a 90-minute tour: through downtown Ottawa and the Byward Market, across the Alexandra Bridge, into the Ottawa River at the Hull marina past the Museum of Civilization and Parliament, then back over the Portage Bridge. The partners found it hard to get insurance, finance and city permits for such an unusual venture.

The business, Amphibus Lady Dive Inc., grew to three vehicles: the Lady Dive I, the 48-passenger Lady Dive III of 2002, and the smaller Lady Duck. In 2001 its vehicles made over 1,400 trips and carried about 40,000 passengers. Beauchesne also built an amphibious bus for Hippo Tours in Toronto.