Ferry service between P.E.I. and N.S. will be more reliable this season, CEO promises

Officials with Northumberland Ferries Ltd. say they're confident this year's ferry season will be better and more reliable than last year's. 

The seasonal ferry service that runs between P.E.I. and Nova Scotia is scheduled to begin May 1 and will include MV Northumberland, a vessel Transport Canada bought from Norwegian owners that is being added to the service. It was formerly called MV Fanafjord. 

"I think the general public is going to be very impressed with that vessel," said Mark Wilson, the president and CEO of Northumberland Ferries.

"There is more redundancy on that vessel in case something does happen with an engine or with a thruster. There is the ability to continue to sail safely and reliability."

The Northumberland Strait ferry service has been struggling since the Holiday Island was scrapped after a fire in the summer of 2022, leaving only MV Confederation on the run. That ship and MV Saareema, leased from the Quebec ferry service for two seasons, then faced their own share of problems. 

The Confederation ran into the wharf at Wood Islands last year, leaving it out of service for four weeks. 

Having two boats in service this year should ensure a more reliable service, Wilson said, noting that both vessels have gone through pre-season maintenance. 

For business leaders in eastern P.E.I., improvements to the ferry service's reliability are critical. 

"We know the travelling public is struggling with the notion of planning on using the ferry, especially from the commercial side," said Blair Aitken, the president of the Eastern P.E.I. Chamber of Commerce. 

Businesses that have lost confidence in the ferry service have opted instead to use the Confederation Bridge that links western P.E.I. to New Brunswick, Aitken said.

"We're hopeful that Northumberland Ferries has plans of some sort to bring back public confidence in their system," he said, noting that a reliable, dependable service would do that over time. 

Aitken said he's hoping to see a season that begins and runs without maintenance issues, and operates on schedule with a reservation system that serves the public's leisure and commercial needs. 

"It's absolutely vital. I mean, it's vital to the eastern region, it's extremely important to the Island in general," he said. "The ferry system is highly important to the people of the region, to the businesses of the region on both sides of the strait."

Any issues with the service this year will be magnified in the eyes of the public, Aitken warned.