HALIFAX -- The Nova Scotia government is spending another $5 million to support the restored ferry service between Yarmouth and Portland, Maine.
Economic Development Minister Michel Samson says the additional funding for Nova Star Cruises is intended to help cover outstanding costs from its sailing season.
The service has encountered problems in its inaugural season, which ended today, three weeks earlier than planned due to a lack of passengers.
In July, the provincial Liberal government said that the entire $21 million that was committed over seven years for the ferry had been spent by the operator, two months into the season.
Samson says that funding agreement was unrealistic.
The previous NDP government promised last year to revive the service after killing it early in its mandate by eliminating an annual subsidy that was $12 million in 2009.
Under a new interim agreement announced today, an adviser from KPMG with ferry experience will audit costs, look for savings and advise on a plan for future years.
