It’s the longest continuously operating salt water ferry service in the world, and now you can buy a piece of Halifax Harbour ferry history.
The Dartmouth III was taken out of service this past summer, when it was replaced by the city's newest ferry, the Viola Desmond. An advertisement for the recently decommissioned ferry popped up on Kijiji this week, with a starting price of $150,000.
“We have been undertaking a ferry replacement program, it was time to decommission this ferry and now it’s up for sale,” said Halifax Regional Municipality spokesperson Tiffany Chase.
The listing says the 23-metre ferry's batteries need to be replaced and it has more than 13,400 engine hours since its last rebuild, but there is no notable damage.
“Any revenue that comes from the sale of this vessel will go into a transit capital reserve fund that could go towards future purchases of ferries or buses,” says Chase.
The white and navy blue boat has two levels, with indoor and outdoor seating for up to 390 people and an elevated wheelhouse.
One historian says he’d like to see the ferry on display at a museum, but admits that’s not a reality in today’s world.
“I had a good laugh, that’s a very Maritime thing, to have a major piece of transportation infrastructure go for sale on the internet,” says David Jones, a Dartmouth historian and archeologist.
Jones says the ferry is a crucial part of Dartmouth’s history.
“As soon as the European version of Halifax was founded in 1749, people were running small boats across the harbor, and charging really outrageous prices. So that’s why the government stepped in and regulated the ferries, so since 1752 we’ve had an official salt water ferry service here in Halifax Harbour,” adds Jones.
Jones hopes someone buys it and comes up with a creative purpose to keep its story in the history books going.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Allan April and The Canadian Press
