ATLANTIC

Yarmouth-to-Maine ferry will run this year: transportation minister

THE CANADIAN PRESS Published Thursday, February 4, 2016 3:19PM AST

In this July 13, 2015 photo, the Nova Star ferry travels past fishermen and tourists near the Spring Point Ledge Light on its way to the Ocean Gateway terminal in Portland, Maine. (Gabe Souza/Portland Press Herald via AP)

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HALIFAX -- Nova Scotia's transportation minister says there will be a ferry running between Yarmouth and Maine this year despite the fact that the company hired to operate the service doesn't have a ship yet.

Geoff MacLellan says acquiring a ferry is a complicated process and he trusts that Bay Ferries Ltd. is going through it as quickly as possible.

Bay Ferries issued a press release Thursday saying they have been looking for a vessel since the fall, but said they couldn't discuss the status of the search because they are competing against other operators.

The province named the company as the new operator of the service late last year.

Nova Star Cruises had operated the ferry for two years and received a total of $39.5 million in provincial subsidies, but it fell significantly short of its passenger targets.