Latest news with #MVConfederation
CBC
02-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
No damage to new ferry for N.S.-P.E.I. run after pipes froze during voyage, company says
Issue recently raised by federal Conservative candidate James Aylward The new vessel for the ferry service between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia experienced minor issues during its transatlantic voyage but suffered no damage, says the company that operates the service. MV Northumberland, which was acquired by Transport Canada for around $40 million, is currently docked in Pictou, N.S. Formerly named MV Fanafjord, the ship began its journey from Norway last December and arrived here in January. The ferry service across the Northumberland Strait has been inconsistent since the MV Holiday Island had to be scrapped following a fire aboard the ship in 2022. Last season, MV Confederation, the other vessel on the run, collided with the wharf and was out of service for weeks so damage could be repaired. MV Saaremaa, which Transport Canada leased from Quebec after Holiday Island was scrapped, is not designed for the often windy conditions on the strait, leading to frequent cancellations. Northumberland is expected to be a more reliable vessel for the service. But during a recent roundtable discussion on CBC's Island Morning with candidates running in P.E.I.'s federal Cardigan riding, Conservative candidate James Aylward raised concerns about the new vessel. "She's now over on the Nova Scotia side tied up with burst pipes because it wasn't winterized properly," Aylward said. He elaborated later that day on social media: "This ferry was left unwinterized when it arrived from Norway, resulting in many of the pipes freezing and bursting. We are now hearing that her new diesel engines were damaged from this total lack of maintenance and mismanagement." Ferry 'ready to go' Mark Wilson, president and CEO of Northumberland Ferries Ltd., said there were issues with pipes during the vessel's trip from Bermuda to Pictou, the final leg of its voyage. The vessel is designed to Norwegian specifications and the ship's freshwater pipes were insulated, Wilson said. "We experienced some very extreme winter conditions, resulting in some frozen freshwater pipes on the car deck," he told CBC News. "I wouldn't really classify it necessarily as a repair. We just found a solution to the issue and made it right." Wilson said it was a "relatively quick fix." "That didn't cause any damage anywhere throughout the ship," he said. "In terms of the diesel engines on the vessel, everything is in good working order, sailed well across the Atlantic, and the engines are brand new and ready to go [into] service this upcoming season." Wilson added that the company does not report minor maintenance issues to Transport Canada. Crew training and sea trials The ferry service is scheduled to resume for the season in May. Northumberland Ferries traditionally uses one ferry, MV Confederation, in the shoulder seasons and two during peak months. Wilson said preparations for MV Northumberland's inaugural season are well underway, with crew training ongoing. The ferry will be out for dock fits next week, he said, then will undergo extensive sea trials from both ports for the remainder of April.
CBC
18-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
Company operating N.S.-P.E.I. ferry service has a new owner
Social Sharing After a turbulent year in 2024, the company that operates ferry routes between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia has a new owner. The ownership group behind Northumberland Ferries Ltd., as well as the New Brunswick-Nova Scotia service from Bay Ferries Ltd., has sold the enterprise to CEO and president Mark Wilson. The deal does not include ownership of the vessels on the runs, which belong to Transport Canada. Wilson, who grew up in South Rustico, P.E.I., but now lives in Halifax, finalized the sale last week. He has been with the companies since 2021 and took over as CEO in May. The sale to Wilson from the previous ownership group — comprised of Danny Bartlett, Don Cormier, Gerry Stevenson and the family of the late Mark MacDonald — was completed earlier this month. Wilson acknowledged that 2024 was a tough year for Northumberland Ferries, but he said customers can expect him and his team to stay committed to improving safety at a time when many longtime employees are looking to retire. "We had close to 40 new hires the year before, so that's significant," he told CBC News. "You just need to make sure that the training system that you have in place, the safety management system in place, is robust in that we're training those people properly." Wilson's first season as CEO was a challenging one, with multiple breakdowns of both MV Saareema and MV Confederation, including the latter's collision with a wharf that left it out of service for 10 straight weeks. Canada's transport minister, Anita Anand, has said she intended to order an audit of Northumberland Ferries Ltd. after the "unacceptable" numerous disruptions and delays in 2024, to ensure reliable ferry service between P.E.I. and Nova Scotia. While there have been problems at Northumberland Ferries, the company's routes on Bay Ferries between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have been much smoother, Wilson said. Bay Ferries also operates the CAT ferry on "a scenic 3.5-hour voyage between Bar Harbor, Maine, and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia" during the tourism season. Wilson said he's committed to working with the governments and community partners to better meet and exceed the expectations customers have for the service. 'Move things forward' Wilson said buying the ferry company wasn't something he initially planned. Then he learned that the previous ownership group was ready to step away after more than 20 years. "Because of the importance of the service, they also wanted to move to someone who was going to own the company that was going to be actively involved in it, to continue on those traditional routes… and, you know, [have] new energy and continue to move things forward," he said. Wilson was able to complete the sale and become the sole new owner, taking on some bank financing to complete the purchase. Looking ahead, Wilson said he and his team will "get things right" with Northumberland Ferries' operations, pointing to the upcoming introduction of MV Northumberland as a positive sign. This new vessel, acquired by Transport Canada and formerly named MV Fanafjord, is intended to provide more reliable service on the Wood Islands, P.E.I., to Caribou, N.S., route. The ferry service has experienced disruptions following the decommissioning of MV Holiday Island after a fire in 2022, compounded by issues with MV Confederation. MV Northumberland travelled from Norway in December and is currently in Pictou, N.S., where it will remain until the ferry service resumes in May. "I'm confident with the senior leadership team here that we can continue down a very good trajectory looking forward to 2025," Wilson said.
CBC
26-01-2025
- Business
- CBC
Northumberland Ferries Limited faces audit after troubled season, says transport minister
Canada's transport minister will order an audit of the company that operates the ferry service between P.E.I. and Nova Scotia, CBC News has learned. Anita Anand said the frequent interruptions to Northumberland Ferries Limited's service during the 2024 sailing season were "unacceptable," according to information provided in a statement from a senior federal government official. "With the past season marked by numerous interruptions and delays, it's important to ensure that Northumberland Ferries has strong protocols in place to prevent future issues and guarantee safe operations," the statement reads. "This audit is about putting Islanders first — making sure the ferries are operating safely, reliably, and delivering the service people in Atlantic Canada deserve." The timeline for conducting the audit was not immediately clear, but the source said Anand would like the review to begin as soon as possible. Transport Canada has issued a tender for a contractor to conduct the audit. CBC News has reached out to Northumberland Ferries for comment, but has not received a response. The ferry service across the Northumberland Strait has been inconsistent since the MV Holiday Island was scrapped after a fire onboard in 2022. Transport Canada had been using the remaining ship, the MV Confederation. It leased another ferry, the MV Saaremaa, from Quebec, while it found a replacement for the Holiday Island. WATCH | Canada's new transport minister says she's treating P.E.I. ferry situation with 'urgency' Canada's new transport minister says she's treating P.E.I. ferry situation with 'urgency' 4 months ago Duration 7:02 Anita Anand recently took over the federal transportation portfolio, and she does so at a tumultuous time for the seasonal ferry service that connects P.E.I. and Nova Scotia. CBC News: Compass host Louise Martin spoke to Anand during her visit to the Island to find out what Transport Canada is doing to ensure the future reliability of the Northumberland Strait crossings. But a series of issues with the Confederation, including a collision with the wharf that left it out of service for weeks, continued to disrupt the service throughout the 2024 sailing season. Saaremaa's crossings were also frequently cancelled because the ferry wasn't built to withstand the often high winds on the Northumberland Strait. MV Northumberland arrives News of the audit comes on the same day MV Northumberland, formerly MV Fanafjord, made its much-anticipated arrival in Pictou, N.S. It will become the second permanent ferry for the service when the sailing season begins later this year. The ship was acquired by Transport Canada on Dec. 12. The federal government paid about $40 million for the vessel. Transport Canada has said a replacement for Holiday Island was contracted to the Davie shipyard in Quebec in 2019. That ship is still in the design phase, despite documents that show the Holiday Island II was initially expected to arrive in P.E.I. five years after the contract was awarded. The ferry service between P.E.I. and Nova Scotia will resume for the season in May. Northumberland Ferries generally uses one ferry in the shoulder seasons and two during peak months.
Yahoo
26-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Northumberland Ferries Limited faces audit after troubled season, says transport minister
Canada's transport minister will order an audit of the company that operates the ferry service between P.E.I. and Nova Scotia, CBC News has learned. Anita Anand said the frequent interruptions to Northumberland Ferries Limited's service during the 2024 sailing season were "unacceptable," according to information provided in a statement from a senior federal government official. "With the past season marked by numerous interruptions and delays, it's important to ensure that Northumberland Ferries has strong protocols in place to prevent future issues and guarantee safe operations," the statement reads. "This audit is about putting Islanders first — making sure the ferries are operating safely, reliably, and delivering the service people in Atlantic Canada deserve." The timeline for conducting the audit was not immediately clear, but the source said Anand would like the review to begin as soon as possible. Transport Canada has issued a tender for a contractor to conduct the audit. CBC News has reached out to Northumberland Ferries for comment, but has not received a response. The ferry service across the Northumberland Strait has been inconsistent since the MV Holiday Island was scrapped after a fire onboard in 2022. Transport Canada had been using the remaining ship, the MV Confederation. It leased another ferry, the MV Saaremaa, from Quebec, while it found a replacement for the Holiday Island. WATCH | Canada's new transport minister says she's treating P.E.I. ferry situation with 'urgency' But a series of issues with the Confederation, including a collision with the wharf that left it out of service for weeks, continued to disrupt the service throughout the 2024 sailing season. Saaremaa's crossings were also frequently cancelled because the ferry wasn't built to withstand the often high winds on the Northumberland Strait. MV Northumberland arrives News of the audit comes on the same day MV Northumberland, formerly MV Fanafjord, made its much-anticipated arrival in Pictou, N.S. It will become the second permanent ferry for the service when the sailing season begins later this year. MV Northumberland arrived in Pictou, N.S., Sunday afternoon. It will be the second permanent vessel for the ferry service between Nova Scotia and P.E.I. (Transport Canada) The ship was acquired by Transport Canada on Dec. 12. The federal government paid about $40 million for the vessel. Transport Canada has said a replacement for Holiday Island was contracted to the Davie shipyard in Quebec in 2019. That ship is still in the design phase, despite documents that show the Holiday Island II was initially expected to arrive in P.E.I. five years after the contract was awarded. The ferry service between P.E.I. and Nova Scotia will resume for the season in May. Northumberland Ferries generally uses one ferry in the shoulder seasons and two during peak months.
