Eastern P.E.I. looks for smooth sailing this ferry season

The ferry between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia is back on the water for another season and many are hoping issues which plagued the service are a thing of the past.

In July 2022, the 50 year year-old MV Holiday Island caught fire just outside of the harbour at Wood Islands, P.E.I., leaving the MV Confederation as the only ship on the route. It was joined by a second ferry on loan from Quebec the next year.

Due to an error during a tech update, the Confederation began to suffer a number of serious mechanical issues, leaving it out of commission for much of that sailing season.

“They ran the system in a range that they shouldn’t have, and it affected the flexible couplings, and when the ship got on the route, due to the rubber composition,” said Mark Wilson, Northumberland Ferries acting CEO. “You couldn’t predict that, and that is just something that normally doesn’t fail.”

Northumberland Ferries says they believe those issues are all worked out now and a second ship will be on standby for the route by the end of the month, and for the rest of the season.

“If, in case, something does happen, and, I mean, the best way to ensure reliability on the route is having the two ships there,” said Wilson. “I think there’s significant steps taken to get us back to a permanent two-ship solution on the route.”

Company officials say they didn’t see any long-term damage to the number of travellers despite the two weak years. Now they’re almost back at pre-pandemic numbers.

The ferry is a vital link for people living in eastern P.E.I.

Local politicians and community members were on hand Friday for the ground-breaking ceremony on an extension to connect the Island trail system to the ferry.

“This end of the Island has so many connections with the other side,” said John Rousseau with Wood Islands & Area Development Corp. “It’s just only natural. It’s so historical, it’s been going for so many years, and it’s a long way around.”

They say the connection to the Confederation Trail will make it easier for travellers to come to the Island from Nova Scotia without a car.

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