A Q&A with the first female captain at Niagara Falls

From childhood fun on her family’s boat to a summer job as a teen at a local boating company, her career path was laid out early.

The Niagara Falls, Ontario native has been at Niagara City Cruises (formerly Hornblower Niagara Cruises) since it took over the Canada-side tour experiences over a decade ago. She worked her way up from deckhand, eventually acquiring the necessary licenses, certifications and experience to become the first female captain operating on either side of the Falls in 2017.

Now a seasoned professional with over 10 years of experience at the helm, Aleeshia’s full-time role is dock operations manager—a job she calls a “sweet spot” of keeping her in the community she loves while being on the water doing the work she loves. She utilizes her experience as captain as needed, leaning on her maritime expertise to continually improve the operation at Niagara City Cruises.

What strikes you most about your journey with Niagara City Cruises?

“I think this has been a great kindof professional relationship—they could have easily said ‘Nope, we want people who already have their licenses,’ but they took a chance and then they allowed me to grow. I’m thankful that I was given this opportunity, because many places might not have taken that chance.”

What is your favorite part of your job?

“I love being outside and meeting people from all different walks of life. We get millions of visitors each year, thousands every day. For many people, it’s maybe the first and only time that they’re going to see Niagara Falls, while I was born and raised here. You get to live through them and see it with fresh eyes every single day.”

What’s the best view of the Falls?

“I love a nice, clear, blue sky day, because when the vessel gets into the horseshoe, it almost becomes tranquil. It’s mesmerizing—so peaceful. And then as soon as you turn to come out, you get the rainbows. I can’t ever disagree with that view.”

What’s the best-kept secret about the Falls boat tours?

“It’s always changing! Going from spring to summertime to fall, the water levels change so different rocks are exposed, or you’re seeing, in the spring, the trees start coming back or the leaves in the fall. There’s always something new to look at. Not to mention the fireworks cruises at night.”

What stands out to you about the Falls tours?

“It’s the conversations and the people that you meet. I’m a big dog person, so I always love when service animals come down and they’ve got their ponchos on. It’s just little things like that. In the fall, we get a lot of like international and seniors’ groups and since it’s not ‘summertime busy,’ you have a little extra time to talk to the guests and hear their stories.”

Located just over the border in Niagara Falls, Canada, Niagara City Cruises daytime boat tours operate daily in cruising season, and evening fireworks cruises run throughout the summer.