MLA floats idea of making P.E.I.-N.S. ferry service a provincial Crown corporation

Northumberland Ferries Ltd. operates the service between Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, while the federal government owns the vessels.  (Sheehan Desjardins/CBC - image credit)
Northumberland Ferries Ltd. operates the service between Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, while the federal government owns the vessels. (Sheehan Desjardins/CBC - image credit)

An MLA from eastern Prince Edward Island says the provincial government might propose taking over the Northumberland Strait ferry service from Transport Canada.

Darlene Compton, who represents Belfast-Murray River, has requested an in-person meeting with federal Transportation Minister Anita Anand about the state of the beleaguered service between the Island and Nova Scotia.

"We're trying not to make this the blame game, but we do need some answers and we need to know that we are going to have not only a reliable ferry service, but a more reliable ferry service," Compton told Island Morning's Josefa Cameron.

"We need to know how we're going to get to that point."

The MV Saaremaa sails from Wood Islands, P.E.I. to Caribou N.S. in late August 2023.
The MV Saaremaa sails from Wood Islands, P.E.I. to Caribou N.S. in late August 2023.

The MV Saaremaa will not return to service for the rest of the 2024 season after engine troubles forced it into repairs. (Victoria Walton/CBC)

There have been no boats running across the strait since the middle of September, and there are some doubts as to whether the Northumberland Ferries-run service will return before the scheduled end of the sailing season on Dec. 20.

Earlier this week, more mechanical issues were discovered with one of the main engines of MV Saaremaa, which is being leased from Quebec's ferry service for a third season. The vessel won't be repaired before it has to return to Quebec once that lease ends on Oct. 26.

Earlier in September, the service's other ferry — MV Confederation — went in for repairs at a Pictou shipyard following a collision with the Wood Islands wharf. The collision left the Confederation with a hole in the visor covering its bow entrance.

On Friday, Compton said she wants to have a constructive conversation with Anand about the service, including the idea that the province could manage Northumberland Ferries better than Transport Canada.

Darlene Compton, MLA for Belfast-Murray River, says she has contacted Transport Canada about dredging the channel.
Darlene Compton, MLA for Belfast-Murray River, says she has contacted Transport Canada about dredging the channel.

Darlene Compton, MLA for Belfast-Murray River, says the idea of the P.E.I. and Nova Scotia governments operating the ferry service as a Crown corporation has been floated. (Wayne Thibodeau/CBC)

"I've mentioned possibly creating a Crown corporation where the Island would take over the ferry service," Compton said.

"[It would] still get the subsidies and the vessels and have [the federal government] still pay the bills they're paying now, but the responsibility would be with the province and possibly with Nova Scotia as well."

$20 ferry and bridge fees? 

Meanwhile, P.E.I. Premier Dennis King has written to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau requesting financial support, firm deadlines for ferry repairs, and timeline commitments for replacement vessels.

Dennis King says he and other Canadian premiers want to meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to ensure that federal infrastructure funding is coming down the pipe in this year's federal budget.
Dennis King says he and other Canadian premiers want to meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to ensure that federal infrastructure funding is coming down the pipe in this year's federal budget.

P.E.I. Premier Dennis King wrote to the prime minister to request that the federal government lower fees to $20 for both the ferries and the Confederation Bridge. (CBC)

"The ongoing instability of this critical transportation link is unacceptable and poses significant risks to both public safety and the economy of our province," King wrote in his letter to Trudeau, which the premier also posted on social media.

"In addition to addressing the service disruptions, I reiterate my call for the federal government to reduce the tolls for both the ferry and Confederation Bridge to $20…. At minimum, the federal government must implement this as an interim measure to demonstrate a commitment to alleviating the burden on Islanders."

Transport Canada purchased a Norwegian vessel, MV Fanafjord, to fill the gap until a new ferry can be built. The Fanafjord is scheduled to arrive late this year, but won't go into service until the 2025 season. The total cost, including retrofits, will be about $43 million.

In 2019 the federal budget promised a replacement for the MV Holiday Island. That ferry caught fire approaching Wood Islands in July 2022 and had to be scrapped.

The replacement is still in the design phase. There is no cost attached to it yet, and no clear timeline for when construction of will start. Officials now say it could be delivered as late as 2030.

Sept. 15, 2024
Sept. 15, 2024

NFL says MV Confederation could be back in service by mid-November if Transport Canada approves the company's plan to operate the vessel with just one bow visor. (Stacey Janzer/CBC)

Meanwhile, there is still at least some hope on the horizon for the ferry service's resumption before the end of this year, Northumberland Ferries general manager Jeff Joyce told Island Morning's Laura Chapin on Friday.

NFL is still waiting for approval from Transport Canada to operate the vessel with just one bow visor, Joyce said.

If that happens, the Confederation could be back in service by mid-November.

If the ferry is not allowed to operate without the bow visor, the earliest it will return to service is Dec. 9.