New Brunswick’s provincial budget had bad news for Gagetown.
The town that sits on the St. John River lost its ferry in Tuesday’s budget.
Finance Minister Roger Melanson said the ferry had low ridership and needed to be replaced. That was expected to cost the province $5 million.
“This budget came down to difficult choices,” said Melanson.
Last year, New Brunswick spent over $100,000 on repairing the ferry, allowing it to run on a reduced schedule.
“It’s our glue that keeps the communities together and all of a sudden, we seem to be lost in the wind by a government that really doesn’t understand and never did understand what we’re doing down here,” says Wilf Hiscock, owner of Charlotte’s Family Orchard.
The community has become used to losing services.
Its Service New Brunswick location was closed during last year’s budget, and seven years ago the ferry was cut under Shawn Graham’s Liberals.
A study that showed ridership was on the rise helped the community get the ferry back then.
Hugh Harmon operates his farm on both sides of the river and is now in for a long commute.
“Without the ferry, it’s over an hour drive and I’m going to have to float and truck everything over there,” said Harmon. “I can’t drive the tractors on the four-lane highway and I won’t.”
He’s already talking to his member of Parliament about the cut.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Laura Brown
