The company that operates the ferry between Nova Scotia and eastern Prince Edward Island says the MV Confederation will return to service early this week following mechanical issues that docked the vessel last week and into the weekend – and at the height of PEI’s tourism season.
The ferry was pulled off-line July 2 for the second time since mid-June, when it was removed from the water for two weeks because of a mechanical issue. Northumberland Ferries said Thursday that it expected the problem to be resolved over the weekend.
Mark Wilson, Sr. VP of Northumberland Ferries said a second vessel, MV Saaremaa 1, is scheduled to arrive late on Monday and to be in service by the middle of this month.
The ferry disruption coincided with the Cavendish Festival, Atlantic Canada’s largest outdoor concert, held over the weekend in Cavendish, P.E.I.
Wilson said he understands people’s frustration. “We deeply regret this ongoing inconvenience during this peak tourism season in Atlantic Canada,” he said. “We are making every effort to safely resume service as soon as possible.”
PEI Tourism Minister Cory Deagle sent a letter June 20 to federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra and federal Tourism Minister Randy Boissonnault about concerns surrounding suspended ferry operations during tourism season, urging the government to find a solution.
“As you can appreciate, the ferry service plays an important role in transporting tourists to and from Prince Edward Island, and with the current interruption, it is anticipated that a number of tourism operators in the province and certainly in the eastern region will be severely impacted,” Deagle said.
Corryn Clemence, chief executive of the Tourism Industry Association of Prince Edward Island, said the ferry usually runs from early spring until late fall, but service has been inconsistent this year.
Last July, a fire aboard the MV Holiday Island put that ferry permanently out of service at the height of the tourist season.
“We’ve been operating with one ferry,” Clemence said. “(Now) having no ferry service has been really challenging for a lot of our operators on the eastern end (of the Island).”
Clemence said the financial hit to businesses from the ferry disruption will be calculated later in the year.
The last big tourism year was 2019, she said. That tourism season ended with destruction from post-tropical storm Dorian, and then the COVID-19 pandemic hit the next year.
Things were returning to normal when post-tropical storm Fiona caused major damage on the Island last September.
“Now this year, it’s the ferries,” Clemence said. “It just seems to be a lot of speed bumps along the way for our operators.”
For a lot of people who take the ferry, she said it is not just a means of transport. “They really enjoy the experience of taking the ferry over to the Island. It is a very important part of our tourism matrix here on Prince Edward Island,” she said.
“And it is not only a great service, but it is a great experience too. So, we’re really, really hopeful that they can get back on track and have a consistent schedule.”