'It’s a very, very good thing': Replacement ferry raises spirits in eastern P.E.I.

Two ferries passing on the Northumberland Strait is a reassuring sight for those on the eastern end of Prince Edward Island.

“Almost everywhere I go, somebody says something about this new ferry, and, like I say, it’s a very, very good thing,” said Isabel MacRae, who works at the Wood Islands Lighthouse Museum. “We’re all looking forward to having a more stable economy in the area.”

One of those ships, MV Saaremaa 1, is on loan from Quebec after this week's cabinet retreat in Charlottetown, where federal officials announced they are buying the Norwegian ferry MV Fanafjord.

“We’re going to have two boats, and I think that, we’ve always had that, and we want to make sure that we provide the appropriate service,” said Lawrence MacAulay, local Liberal MP.

It’s the same ferry a Eastern PEI Chamber of Commerce (EPEICC) report recommended the federal government buy in 2016 to replace the aging MV Holiday Island. The 50-year-old ferry burned last year just off its berth in Wood Islands.

While the EPEICC says they’re very thankful there will be a replacement, they’re not giving up on their efforts to improve the frequency and reliability of the service.

“The impact on those businesses was profound, when you heard some of the people talking about how much business they had lost when that ferry was completely shut down,” said Debbie Johnston, mayor of Three Rivers. “I’m hoping this is very much back to normal.”

Johnston said its great news that a full-time replacement ferry is on the route until they can be replaced. She also said it’s important that they hold the federal government accountable for the promise.

The ferries are expected to be on the route by 2028.

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