Passengers stay afloat

Two new ferries for Argentia and Port aux Basques announced

By Andrew Furneaux

Newfoundland and Labrador are getting two new ferries for the crossings from Port aux Basques and Argentia to North Sydney, Nova Scotia. The announcement came from Rob Merrifield, Minister of State of Transport, and Wayne Follett, the president and CEO of Marine Atlantic Inc.

The new ferries are larger than the current vessels in the fleet, The MV Joseph and Clara Smallwood and The Caribou. There are a total of 100 cabins per ferry, more than double the current capacities. Five of the cabins are fully accessible cabins, three more than the current ferries, and there are also features for the hearing impaired.

“From a tourism perspective we are working very close with Marine Atlantic to ensure visitors can enjoy a 'ferry experience' that will be a positive part of their trip to Newfoundland and Labrador” said Terry French, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation.

The new vessel will be able to take more commercial and resident passengers and can go four knots faster then the current 18 knots, allowing travellers to arrive sooner.

“We have a growing tourism industry in this province that is dependant on a reliable, high-quality Gulf ferry service,” says French, “given that about 25 per cent of visitors to Newfoundland and Labrador arrive via Marine Atlantic. It is a vital link to our tourism market.”

Term 32(1) of the Newfoundland Terms of Union with Canada states that the federal government has an obligation to provide ferry service to the province, therefore the federal government will foot the bill.

“These new ferries are both under five years old and will reportedly be faster and more fuel-efficient, but more importantly, we are told they have greater capacity for both passengers and freight. Capacity has been a major concern from both a resident and visitor perspective, and we certainly hope and expect these new vessels will help alleviate that problem.”

Once the two new ferries are operational, The MV Atlantic Vision will be moved to Argentia, and the two new vessels will operate from Port aux Basques. The MV Joseph and Clara Smallwood and The MV Caribou will be retired from the fleet and sold, and The MV Leaf Ericson will remain dedicated to commercial traffic.

The new vessels are expected to begin service in summer of 2011.

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