The New Brunswick and Nova Scotia governments opened their first travelling tourist booth today onboard the ferry service that joins Digby, N.S. and Saint John, N.B.
The Princess of Acadia is a key marine highway for tourists and truckers in the region, but the boat is more than four decades old. It has been taken out of service for repairs on two occasions this summer.
Bay Ferries says no date has been set to replace the vessel.
“The ship is very reliable, very safe, but we know that the service would benefit from asset replacement,” says company Vice President Don Cormier. “There will be a period of time when the maintenance costs will be such that it will be economically feasible to replace this asset.”
The Princess of Acadia is already heavily subsidized by the federal, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick governments. Bay Ferries says the issue is being discussed with all three.
“We’ve been working on this file, both provinces, under various governments and the boat is still crossing the bay each and every year, which is an indication people understand how important it is to all of us,” New Brunswick Tourism Minister Trevor Holder tells CTV News.
The ferry carries tens of thousands of tourists every summer.
“We certainly have seen an increase in New England passengers, people coming up from New England, staying in Saint John and taking the ferry to Digby,” says local hotel manager Tammy Leblanc.
The loss of the CAT Ferry service three years ago is still felt in Yarmouth, N.S. and Maine.
“We sure miss the one out of Bar Harbor,” says ferry passenger and Maine resident Paul Schneider. “A real timesaver and a good tourist attraction, too.”
A newer ferry is expected to cost about $50-million, with most of the cost being picked up by the federal government.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Mike Cameron
