Northumberland Ferries Limited

Last updated
Northumberland Ferries Limited
IndustryShipping
Founded1941
Headquarters,
Area served
Northumberland Strait
Key people
Mark MacDonald, President & CEO
ServicesPassenger transportation
Freight transportation
Parent NFL Holdings Ltd
Website www.ferries.ca

Northumberland Ferries Limited (NFL) is a ferry company operating in eastern Canada and headquartered in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. NFL is also the owner of subsidiary Bay Ferries Limited (which used to include the Bay Ferries Great Lakes brand) through its holding company.

Contents

Wood Islands–Caribou Ferry

MV Confederation has been operated by NFL on the Northumberland Strait between Caribou and Wood Islands since 1993. 2022-09-10 01 MV CONFEDERATION - IMO 9050008 at Caribou, NS Canada.jpg
MV Confederation has been operated by NFL on the Northumberland Strait between Caribou and Wood Islands since 1993.
MV Holiday Island in the Northumberland Strait after leaving Wood Islands terminal. 2021-08-21 03 MV HOLIDAY ISLAND - IMO 7041431, leaving Wood Islands terminal, PEI CAN.jpg
MV Holiday Island in the Northumberland Strait after leaving Wood Islands terminal.
MV Saaremaa 1 preparing to leave the Northumberland Ferries terminal at Caribou, Nova Scotia 2022-09-10 MV SAAREMAA I - IMO 9474072.jpg
MV Saaremaa 1 preparing to leave the Northumberland Ferries terminal at Caribou, Nova Scotia

NFL has operated the ferry service that carries the Trans-Canada Highway across the eastern part of the Northumberland Strait between Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island and Caribou, Nova Scotia since it was established in 1941 by the Government of Canada. This service is seasonal and only operates between the months of May and December on account of heavy sea ice and the lack of icebreaking ferries. NFL also operates the ferry terminals in Wood Islands and Caribou, both of which are owned by the Government of Canada.

Until 2022, NFL operated two vessels owned by the Government of Canada: Confederation built in 1993, and Holiday Island built in 1971. On July 22, 2022, Holiday Island suffered a fire causing ferry crossings to be cancelled. [1] The MV Saaremaa 1 was loaned by the Société des traversiers du Québec as a temporary replacement, and began operations on August 20, 2022. [2] While Confederation has been operated exclusively by NFL since she was built, Holiday Island joined NFL in 1997 after being declared surplus by previous operator Marine Atlantic (who operated the vessel between Cape Tormentine, New Brunswick and Borden-Carleton, Prince Edward Island) upon completion of the Confederation Bridge. Following the 2022 fire, Holiday Island was declared by Transport Canada to be beyond repair and would be scrapped. [3]

Fares are paid only when exiting Prince Edward Island. The other major crossing of the Northumberland Strait, the Confederation Bridge from Prince Edward Island to New Brunswick, does likewise. Therefore, travellers entering the island on the ferry and exiting on the bridge or vice versa only need pay for one of the links.

As an interprovincial ferry service, the route qualifies for a federal subsidy which is provided to NFL to offset losses in return for operating the vessels and terminals. This subsidy was fully renewed for 5 years in March 2005.

Transport Canada had initially proposed a reduction in funding to permit operation between the months of May and October only, and after 2008 the service was to be reduced to only one vessel. The proposed service changes raised protests in both Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia by residents and politicians, forcing the federal government to maintain the status quo until March 2010.

In December 2009 it was reported that Transport Canada was considering only renewing the subsidy for 1 year to cover the 2010 operating season, after which it had been speculated that the federal government would reduce or eliminate the operating subsidy for future years. This would have likely resulted in the retirement of the MV Holiday Island and the reduction to a 1-vessel service from July–September, or possibly the complete abandonment of the ferry service after 2011. Residents of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island lobbied federal and local politicians and bureaucrats to see the 2-vessel May–December service maintained and enhanced as an alternative to the Confederation Bridge in the event of a disaster forcing closure of the span.

In 2014, the federal government announced it was committed to maintaining an operating subsidy until at least 2016, with some funding specifically directed at modernizing mechanical systems on the Holiday Island. [4] [5]

Terminals

Caribou

Northumberland Ferries terminal at Caribou, Nova Scotia, Canada 2022-09-10 Ferry Terminal at Caribou, NS Canada.jpg
Northumberland Ferries terminal at Caribou, Nova Scotia, Canada

This terminal serves Nova Scotia, and is located at the North end of Highway 106, a spur route of the Trans-Canada Highway. The terminal was constructed following the formation of Northumberland Ferries in 1941, and has received numerous upgrades since its construction. At the time of opening, the ferry was only accessible via Three Brooks Road. During the Canada-wide construction of the Trans-Canada Highway in the 1960s, Highway 106 was built providing the service with direct access to the national highway network. At this time, the terminal was expanded to handle more vehicle traffic due to the opening of the highway. A new terminal building was constructed in the early 1970s, and is still used today. The terminal also received a major upgrade including new docking infrastructure, terminal renovations, vehicle lanes and parking prior to the 1993 introduction of the high capacity MV Confederation, which is significantly larger than the other ferries running at the time.

Wood Islands

Northumberland Ferries terminal at Wood Islands PEI Canada 2021-08-21 01a Ferry terminal at Wood Islands PEI Canada.jpg
Northumberland Ferries terminal at Wood Islands PEI Canada

This terminal serves Prince Edward Island, and is located at the east end of Route 1, the Trans Canada Highway, and is adjacent to Wood Islands Provincial Park. Like the Caribou terminal, it was constructed following the formation of Northumberland ferries in 1941. During the early 1990s, the terminal received a major upgrade, including a completely new terminal building and docking infrastructure to accommodate MV Confederation. The terminal building received renovations in 2017 which saw the interior modernized, and includes televisions and new seating areas. The previous terminal still stands today, located on the opposite side of the vehicle lanes from the current terminal, and is used for storage.

Historical Fleet

Related Research Articles

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

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References

  1. Ross, Shane; Edwards, Danielle (22 July 2022). "P.E.I.-N.S. ferry cancelled for a 2nd day after fire aboard ship forced evacuation Friday". CBC News . Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  2. Carolyn, Ryan (20 August 2022). "Saaremaa carries its 1st paying passengers from Nova Scotia to P.E.I." CBC News . Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  3. Gallant, Isabelle (14 October 2022). "MV Holiday Island to be scrapped due to major fire damage". CBC News . Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  4. "Transport Canada | Investment to extend Eastern Canada Ferry Services until 2016". www.newswire.ca. Archived from the original on 2014-07-20.
  5. "Government of Canada invests in Wood Islands - Caribou ferry service - Transport Canada". Archived from the original on 2014-08-06. Retrieved 2014-09-18.