Efforts were continuing in mid-October to save the Saint John (New Brunswick)-to-Digby (Nova Scotia) ferry.
Bay Ferries Ltd. of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, owners and operators of the ferry service, announced in late summer that it would halt service Oct. 31 (WWF Sept. 06). President and CEO Mark MacDonald said at the time that “increased costs and declining traffic” had caused the closing.
He had also indicated that government intervention would be necessary if the ferry were to keep running.
In the interim, the Canadian government has committed $4 million to the ferry’s operation and the governments of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have each committed $2 million.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the ferry has been saved, however. MacDonald said in mid-October that operational details had yet to be worked out. “We’re involved in a series of negotiations that are ongoing. We’re working through the issues now.”
The year-round service employs 100 workers and has provided transportation for Nova Scotia businesses for more than 50 years, chief among them the fish packing industry. It also provides transportation for American tourists who don’t want to the expense of taking The Cat high-speed ferry to Nova Scotia, either from Bar Harbor or Portland. Like the Saint John-Digby ferry, The Cat is owned and operated by Bay Ferries.
— Bob Gustafson