Coastal Transport Limited

Last updated
Coastal Transport Limited
TypeFerry company
PredecessorMarine Atlantic Incorporated
FoundedApril 1997
FounderMurray O. Ryder
Headquarters
Saint John, New Brunswick
Area served
Atlantic Canada
Grand Manan V ferry at North Head GMV 11June2008.jpg
Grand Manan V ferry at North Head

Coastal Transport Limited (Coastal Transport) is a ferry company operating in eastern Canada on the Bay of Fundy with headquarters in Saint John, New Brunswick. The company began as a wholly owned subsidiary of Marine Atlantic Incorporated (MAI), and in April 1997 was sold to Murray O. Ryder, the former MAI Vice President of Operations. [1]

Contents

Coastal Transport is a member of the Tourism Industry Association of New Brunswick (TIANB). [2]

Operations

The vessels Coastal Transport operates and manages are owned by the New Brunswick Department of Transportation and Infrastructure.

Coastal Transport operates a year-round ferry service in Atlantic Canada which include:

Staff

Murray Ryder is the President of the company and his son, Gregg, is the General Manager. [4] Murray was formerly the vice-president (Fundy and PEI region) for Marine Atlantic (1990-1996) before purchasing Coastal Transport from them in 1997. [5] Both the Ryders have been very active in the Canadian Ferry Operators Association (CFOA). Murray has held various positions including Vice-President (1997-1999), Secretary-Treasurer (2006), and Treasurer (2007–2008). In 2009 he was replaced by his son, Gregg, who continues to serve as an Executive Member as Treasurer (2009-2014), and as a Member-At-Large. [6] In 2012, he spoke at the CFOA annual conference on the topic "Strategic Infrastructure Investments: Fundy Islands Ferry Services." [7]

In 2011, despite having an annual budget of close to $10 million, Gregg (then being referred to as the Director of Finance) denied that the business was very profitable. In an interview with Canadian Sailings, he stated: "There is not a lot of money to be made... We are basically paid a management fee to operate the vessels for the government." [8]

Blacks Harbour Branch Manager Morris Harris became a minor Maritime internet celebrity when his custom outhouse was stolen from his hunting camp. [9] The company was also in the news in December 2015, when staff helped a passenger delivery a baby during the voyage. [10]

Fleet

MS Grand Manan Adventure has a car capacity of 82, a passenger capacity of 360, a gross tonnage of 6580 and a net tonnage of 1974. First registered in 2011, she is 80.28 metres (263.4 ft) in length, 18.5 metres (61 ft) in breadth and 13.75 metres (45.1 ft) in depth. [11] MS Grand Manan V has a car capacity of 65, a passenger capacity of 300, a gross tonnage of 3833 and a net tonnage of 2935. First registered in 1990, she is 70.32 metres (230.7 ft) in length, 15.03 metres (49.3 ft) in breadth and 9.6 metres (31 ft) in depth. [3] [12] The two ferries are both a propeller driven.

Deer Island Princess II has a car capacity of 24, a passenger capacity of 99, a gross tonnage of 335 and a net tonnage of 95. First registered in 2001, she is 39.90 metres (130.9 ft) in length, 12.50 metres (41.0 ft) in breadth and 2.40 metres (7 ft 10 in) in depth. John E. Rigby has a car capacity of 17, a passenger capacity of 30, a gross tonnage of 231 and a net tonnage of 227. First registered in 1976, she is 30.97 metres (101.6 ft) in length, 11.91 metres (39.1 ft) in breadth and 2.16 metres (7 ft 1 in) in depth. [3] [13] [14] The two ferries are both a propeller driven.

The Grand Manan Adventure

The Grand Manan Adventure from Swallowtail Lighthouse GrandMananAdventureNorthHead.jpg
The Grand Manan Adventure from Swallowtail Lighthouse

In 2009, the Government of New Brunswick announced a plan to replace the Grand Manan V. The Transportation Minister at the time, Denis Landry, stated that four shipyards submitted five proposals. The Panama, Florida-based Eastern Shipbuilding Group Inc. won a $65 million contract to build the vessel, an 82-car ferry. Grand Manan residents were invited to participate in a contest to name the new vessel, and a panel of local residents reviewed the entries and made the selection. The winning name was the Grand Manan Adventure, and was submitted by Deborah Avery. For submitting the winning entry, she was also awarded a spot for herself and three guests on the vessel's maiden voyage, along with certificates and a plaque. [15] The Adventure is a 281-foot, single-ended roll-on, roll-off ferry that can accommodate 82 cars or 10 full-size tractor trailers in four vehicle lanes, and a maximum of 380 people. The vessel, one of the largest ferries to be constructed by Eastern Shipbuilding, was to delivered in July 2011. [16] The Adventure's maiden voyage was on August 11, 2011. It departed Black's Harbour at 11 a.m. with about 200 invited guests aboard, including then-Premier David Alward. [17]

However, the new vessel has been plagued with problems from the outset:

On August 11, 2015, the provincial government announced they had a plan to study the chronic problems the vessel had been having, in order to determine their cause. The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure stated they planned to engage an independent team from Newfoundland to assess the situation. Early speculation from locals has focused on how many of the problems have originated on the port side of the vessel. Frustration among the local population has been mounting. When interviewed by the CBC, former MLA Eric Allaby said: "there's something dreadfully wrong with some of the mechanics of this ferry." Local resident Tammy Worthen stated that the boat was now "affectionately known as the 'Misadventure.'" [32]

Once the report was released, (a redacted copy is available on the Province of New Brunswick's website), [33] the company announced in August 2016 they were replacing both the engines aboard the vessel, at a cost of $400,000.

Former vessels in the fleet include the Grand Manan (1965-2011) [34] [35] and the Lady White Head.

Fees Controversy

In August 2010, in the period leading up to the New Brunswick provincial election, David Alward, the leader of the New Brunswick provincial Conservative Party pledged to remove the toll on the ferry to Grand Manan if they won the election. Alward claimed that the ferry service was unique in the province in that it charged a toll, and that it was unfair to island residents. He promised that Coastal Transport would be fully subsidized to compensate, and that the schedule would remain the same. These changes, he argued, would make it more attractive for people to work, live, and operate businesses on Grand Manan, and that it would prove a boon for tourism. [36] But the suggestion itself was decried by the incumbent MLA and the Mayor of Grand Manan. Mayor Dennis Greene stated that businesses, council, the tourism sector, and the island's transportation committee were not consulted prior to the announcement. The cost of eliminating the fees was estimated to be $1.7 million. [37]

On September 27, 2010, Alward and the Conservatives won the provincial election. The following August, Alward stated that he would keep his election promise to eliminate the fees, and that although it wouldn't happen by the end of 2011, it would by the end of his mandate. Gregg Ryder spoke on the issue in December 2011: "There is a reason most ferry operations are associated with government fiscally and legally for subsidies. The population density is not there at this end of the country to the extent it is for B.C. Ferries." He added, "Coastal Transport simply collects the fares on behalf of the province. If the province chooses to remove the fares, they are in effect eliminating one of their revenue streams. But many Grand Mananers have long held the view that they pay the only tolls in the province. They reject the comparison with the Princess of Acadia since it is interprovincial, as well as the now-defunct Yarmouth, N.S.-Bar Harbor run. With high fuel and labour costs, very few Canadian ferry operations are sustainable without government subsidy. We are no exception to this." [8]

In March 2012 the fees still remained in place. The Village of Grand Manan then held a plebiscite, asking: "Should the Council of the Village of Grand Manan ask the Government of New Brunswick to remove the fare to travel on the ferry to and from the mainland?" [38] The plebiscite subsequently passed by a narrow margin, 556 for and 511 against, with a voter turnout of 67 per cent. Alward responded by saying: "I certainly respect the people of Grand Manan and have full intention to respect our commitments. I do appreciate the decision that the people have made where they are recommending to government to see the ferry fees removed. That is great for the economy of Grand Manan in the long term, and I have full intention to respect their wishes." [39] [40] By September 2012, the fees were still in place and although many politicians expected the Alward government to live up to its promise, they assumed it would be done towards the end of his four-year mandate. [41]

In April 2013, Alward's government announced their intention to reduce the amount of ferry crossings by one run daily, and that this would result in savings of $1 million per year. [42] This move was met with a wave of opposition and a petition against it. [43] [44] [45] However, these cuts did not materialize. [46] [47]

In perhaps his final public remarks on the matter, made during the reopening ceremony of The Algonquin Resort in June 2014, Alward said: "I guess we haven't come to a final decision on it. There hadn't been a clean mandate or majority from the community in terms of the support on that. If we look at the ferry when it was built, it was built with a lot more capacity than was really needed and so we looked at changing some of the runs so what the community said at the time is, 'why don't you look at keeping the runs going the way it is because we believe it's important to the economy of the island and also to the movement of people?' So that's where we've been at. We thought that was the most important priority at the time so that's where we have focused. We haven't made a final decision where we're going to land on the other part." [48]

That same month, Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Claude Williams reiterated that the fares would remain. Many islanders felt that the government had reneged on its promise, and that the matter would become an election issue. The impact of this is unclear, but Alward's mandate ended in 2014 with the fees still in place, and his Conservatives were defeated at the polls by the Liberal Party, led by Brian Gallant. [49] [50]

Service to Deer Island

In 2012, Coastal Transport won a 15-year contract, valued at $13.8 million per year, to operate the L'Etete to Deer Island Ferry, the Grand Manan Ferry service as well as the White head ferry service. . [51] [52]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bay of Fundy</span> Bay on the east coast of North America

The Bay of Fundy is a bay between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, with a small portion touching the U.S. state of Maine. It is an arm of the Gulf of Maine. Its tidal range is the highest in the world. The name is probably a corruption of the French word fendu, meaning 'split'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Manan</span> Village in New Brunswick, Canada

Grand Manan is a Canadian island in the Bay of Fundy, part of the province of New Brunswick. Grand Manan is also the name of an incorporated village, which includes the main island and numerous nearby islands; White Head Island, small islands near it, and Machias Seal Island are not part of the village.

British Columbia Ferry Services Inc., operating as BC Ferries (BCF), is a former provincial Crown corporation, now operating as an independently managed, publicly owned Canadian company. BC Ferries provides all major passenger and vehicle ferry services for coastal and island communities in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Set up in 1960 to provide a similar service to that provided by the Black Ball Line and the Canadian Pacific Railway, which were affected by job action at the time, BC Ferries has become the largest passenger ferry line in North America, operating a fleet of 41 vessels with a total passenger and crew capacity of over 27,000, serving 47 locations on the B.C. coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campobello Island</span> Island in Campobello, New Brunswick, Canada

Campobello Island is the largest and only inhabited island in Campobello, a civil parish in southwestern New Brunswick, Canada, near the border with Maine, United States. The island's permanent population in 2021 was 949. It is the site of the Roosevelt Campobello International Park and of Herring Cove Provincial Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marine Atlantic</span> Independent Canadian federal Crown corporation operating ferries

Marine Atlantic Inc. is an independent Canadian federal Crown corporation which is mandated to operate ferry services between the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia.

Deer Island is one of the Fundy Islands in the Bay of Fundy, Canada. It is at the entrance to Passamaquoddy Bay. The island was first settled by colonists around 1770.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bay Ferries</span> Canadian ferry company

Bay Ferries Limited, or simply, Bay Ferries, is a ferry company operating in eastern Canada and is headquartered in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. It is a subsidiary of Northumberland Ferries Limited and a sister company to the defunct Bay Ferries Great Lakes Limited.

Coastal-class ferry

Coastal-class ferries, also known as the "Super-C class" are three ferries owned and operated by BC Ferries of British Columbia, Canada and were built at the Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft shipyard in Flensburg, Germany. They are the second-largest ships in the BC Ferries fleet, surpassed only by the two larger, single-ended Spirit-class ferries. At the time of their building, the three ships were the largest double-ended ferries in the world, however the record has since been surpassed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Head Island</span>

White Head Island is an island located in the Bay of Fundy. It is off the east coast of Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick. In 2011 the island had a population of 162. White Head Island is governed as a local service district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint John Harbour Bridge</span>

The Saint John Harbour Bridge is three-span crossing of Saint John Harbour at the mouth of the Saint John River in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. It opened in 1968.

MV <i>Northern Ranger</i> Ferry

MV Northern Ranger was a Canadian ice-breaking coastal ferry operating in Newfoundland and Labrador. The ship entered service in 1986 for coastal service in Labrador. The vessel provided service between Nain, Newfoundland and Labrador and Happy Valley-Goose Bay, stopping at points between. The ferry was owned and operated by the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. At the end of 2018, the ship was taken out of service and replaced by a newer vessel on the route between Nain and Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

Fundy Cable was a Canadian cable television provider, which served all major New Brunswick communities except for the Sackville area at the time of its purchase by Shaw Communications for 312M USD in 1999. Its operations were later acquired by Rogers Cable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MV Vacationland</span> Ferry

The MV Vacationland is a Canadian RORO ferry that operated across the Northumberland Strait between the ports of Cape Tormentine, New Brunswick and Port Borden, Prince Edward Island.

MV <i>Holiday Island</i> Ferry

MV Holiday Island was a Canadian RORO ferry that operated across the Northumberland Strait between the ports of Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island and Caribou, Nova Scotia. The vessel was owned by the Government of Canada and was managed and operated by Northumberland Ferries Limited.

MV <i>Queen of the North</i> British Columbian ferry

MV Queen of the North was a roll-on/roll-off (RORO) ferry built by AG Weser of Germany and operated by BC Ferries, which ran along an 18-hour route along the British Columbia Coast of Canada between Port Hardy and Prince Rupert, British Columbia, a route also known as the Inside Passage. On March 22, 2006, with 101 people aboard, she failed to make a planned course change, ran aground and sank. Two passengers, whose bodies were never found, died in the incident. The ship had a gross register tonnage of 8,806, and an overall length of 125 metres (410 ft). She had a capacity of 700 passengers and 115 cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Brunswick Route 776</span>

Route 776 is a provincial highway in New Brunswick, Canada. It serves as the main road on Charlotte County's Grand Manan Island, following the entire eastern coast of the island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Anchorage Provincial Park</span>

The Anchorage Provincial Park is a public park located on the south-east coast of Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick, Canada. The island, the largest in the Bay of Fundy, is also the primary island in the Grand Manan Archipelago, sitting at the boundary between the Bay of Fundy and the Gulf of Maine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (New Brunswick)</span>

The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure is a part of the Government of New Brunswick. It is charged with maintenance of government facilities and the province's highway network. From 1855 to 1912, it was known as the Board of Public Works. From 1912 to 1967, it was known as Department of Public Works and Highways. In 1967, its functions were divided between the Department of Public Works and the Department of Transportation. In 2012, the Department of Transportation and the infrastructure management components of the Department of Supply and Services were merged back together.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Isles Parish, New Brunswick</span> Parish in Canada

West Isles is a civil parish in Charlotte County, New Brunswick, Canada.

MV <i>Fundy Rose</i> Canadian passenger ship

MV Fundy Rose is a RORO passenger ship owned by the Government of Canada, which entered service with Bay Ferries in 2015 between Saint John, New Brunswick, and Digby, Nova Scotia, replacing the MV Princess of Acadia. The vessel was formerly owned by Attica Group based in Athens, Greece, and was operated under the name Blue Star Ithaki by their subsidiary company Blue Star Ferries under the Greek flag.

References

  1. ↑ "Information archivée dans le Web" (PDF).
  2. ↑ title
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Ferries". New Brunswick Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on 2008-11-15. Retrieved 2008-11-17.
  4. ↑ http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/deer-island-ferry-privatization-worries-workers-1.1238121; http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/grand-manan-ferry-docked-after-running-aground-1.1037837
  5. ↑ (PDF)
  6. ↑ http://www.releases.gov.nl.ca/releases/1997/wst/1003n06.htm; "Canadian Ferry Operators Association » About CFOA". Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-25.
  7. ↑ "Canadian Ferry Operators Association Newsletter" . issuu.com. Aug 27, 2012.
  8. 1 2 "New Grand Manan Adventure finally on the Fundy – Ferry boosts carrying capacity to scenic New Brunswick island - Canadian Sailings". canadiansailings.ca. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02.
  9. ↑ http://www.manta.com/ic/mtq0xf7/ca/coastal-transport-limited; http://0101.nccdn.net/1_5/147/388/143/Regular-Meeting-February-15-2012.pdf Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine ; "Toilet troubles: Man's custom outhouse stolen from hunting camp". CTV News Atlantic. December 5, 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  10. ↑ "UPDATED: Baby Girl Delivered On the Grand Manan Adventure". Country94. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  11. ↑ "Details for registered vessel GRAND MANAN ADVENTURE (O.N. 835549)". wwwapps.tc.gc.ca. Retrieved 2018-12-12.
  12. ↑ "Details for registered vessel GRAND MANAN V (O.N. 396006)". wwwapps.tc.gc.ca. Retrieved 2018-12-12.
  13. ↑ "Deer Island Princess II". Canadian Transportation Agency. Archived from the original on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2008-11-24.
  14. ↑ "John E. Rigby". Canadian Transportation Agency. Archived from the original on 2007-08-21. Retrieved 2008-11-24.
  15. ↑ http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/florida-company-wins-65m-contract-to-build-grand-manan-ferry-1.800193; http://www.gnb.ca/cnb/news/tran/2010e0145tr.htm
  16. ↑ "Grand Manan Adventure - Professional Mariner - American Ship Review 2012". professionalmariner.com. 28 October 2011.
  17. ↑ "New Grand Manan ferry sails". cbc.ca.
  18. ↑ "New Grand Manan ferry delayed for repairs". cbc.ca.
  19. ↑ "New Grand Manan ferry down". cbc.ca.
  20. ↑ "Grand Manan Adventure will return to dry dock". cbc.ca.
  21. ↑ "Grand Manan ferry down again". cbc.ca.
  22. ↑ "The Saint Croix Courier". Archived from the original on 2015-04-07. Retrieved 2015-03-26.
  23. ↑ http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/out-of-service-ferry-frustrates-grand-manan-residents-1.1199054; http://country94.ca/news/coastal-transport-calls-ferry-problems-teething-issues
  24. ↑ http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/mechanical-issue-puts-grand-manan-ferry-out-of-service-1.1378601; http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/grand-manan-adventure-back-to-full-service-after-breakdown-1.1334804
  25. ↑ "Grand Manan ferry not a 'lemon', says Coastal Transport". cbc.ca.
  26. ↑ http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/mechanical-failure-cause-of-grand-manan-ferry-cancellations-1.2599029; http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/grand-manan-ferry-crossing-cancellations-continue-1.2599507; http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/grand-manan-ferry-crossings-resume-without-main-vessel-1.2600063
  27. ↑ http://www.ipick.ca/fredericton/grand-manan-adventure-ferry-may-resume-service-by-may Archived 2015-04-03 at the Wayback Machine ; http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/canada/newbrunswick/story/1.2611144; http://www.country94.ca/news/grand-manan-adventure-back-service; http://quoddytides.com/grand_manan_adventure4-11-2014.html
  28. ↑ "CBC.ca - Canadian News Sports Entertainment Kids Docs Radio TV". cbc.ca.
  29. ↑ http://thewave.ca/news/1405545055/grand-manan-adventure-ferry-temporarily-out-service; http://www.wunderground.com/blog/GRANDMANAN/comment.html?entrynum=3522&tstamp=
  30. ↑ Bobbi-Jean MacKinnon [@BJMCBC] (14 May 2015). "ATTN Grand Manan travellers: ferry runs from North Head at 7:15 pm and Blacks Harbour at 9 pm cancelled for "routine maintenance" #nb" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  31. ↑ "More shutdowns for Grand Manan Adventure ferry". cbc.ca.
  32. ↑ Stephanie Skenderis (12 August 2015). "Grand Manan ferry Adventure's problems being studied". CBC News. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  33. ↑ "MV Grand Manan Adventure Independent Review" (PDF).
  34. ↑ "The Saint Croix Courier". stcroixcourier.ca. Archived from the original on 29 November 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  35. ↑ Connell Smith (15 December 2016). "Shipwrecked: Former Bay of Fundy ferry, MV Grand Manan, aground in Panama". CBC News. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  36. ↑ "N.B. Tories say they'll remove Grand Manan ferry tolls". ctvnews.ca. 20 August 2010.
  37. ↑ http://stcroixcourier.ca/fullnews.php?view=324 Archived 2015-11-29 at the Wayback Machine ; http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/grand-manan-voters-question-pc-promise-1.968671
  38. ↑ "Grand Manan pitches plebiscite on free ferry". cbc.ca.
  39. ↑ "Grand Manan votes to ditch ferry fees". cbc.ca.
  40. ↑ "Grand Manan ferry fees will be removed, says Alward". cbc.ca.
  41. ↑ "Grand Manan ferry fees continue despite plebiscite vote - New Brunswick - CBC News". www.cbc.ca. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  42. ↑ "Trinity Today:New Brunswick gov't cuts Grand Manan ferry crossings". trinitytoday.ca. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  43. ↑ "Grand Manan ferry cuts face wave of opposition". cbc.ca.
  44. ↑ Arlene Benham (April 26, 2013). "Islanders take action against proposal to reduce ferry service". The Quoddy Tides .
  45. ↑ http://www.gnb.ca/legis/business/pastsessions/57/57-3/order-e/o130620e.pdf p. 8
  46. ↑ http://grandmanan.coastaltransport.ca/documents/SchedulePrint-EN.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  47. ↑ "The Saint Croix Courier". stcroixcourier.ca. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  48. ↑ "The Saint Croix Courier". stcroixcourier.ca. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  49. ↑ "Grand Manan travellers upset ferry fare still in place". cbc.ca.
  50. ↑ "N.B. Liberals win election, as chief electoral officer affirms vote results". cbc.ca.
  51. ↑ "Coastal Transport lands Fundy Isles ferry contract". cbc.ca.
  52. ↑ Edward French (April 27, 2011). "Privatization decision shocks workers on Deer Island ferry". The Quoddy Tides.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.