Latest news with #MVHolidayIsland
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
27-01-2025
- Business
- CBC
MV Northumberland's arrival a step toward restoring ferry service's reliability, says Pictou mayor
Social Sharing In Pictou, N.S., the town's mayor watched as the MV Northumberland arrived in port on Sunday. The new vessel will become the second permanent ship for Northumberland Ferries Limited when the sailing season begins later this year. "Hopefully it's a step — a big step — toward restoring reliability to the ferry service," said Pictou Mayor Jim Rayan, who said 2024 was "absolutely the worst" he's seen in terms of ferry disruptions. "The service itself was very unreliable and of course non-existent for weeks at a time." The ferry service across the Northumberland Strait has been inconsistent since the MV Holiday Island had to be scrapped after a fire onboard in 2022. That frequent interruptions have prompted concern from Canada's transport minister, Anita Anand, who has ordered an audit of Northumberland Ferries Limited. Welcoming another vessel MV Northumberland's arrival offers "some comfort for the coming season," said Blair Aitken, the president of the Eastern P.E.I. Chamber of Commerce. "This is the same ferry that the chamber recommended purchase of back in 2016, and then again in 2022 when the Holiday Island had the fire and was out of service," Aitken said. "We're excited to see the ferry finally arrive." The addition of another vessel is welcome news to businesses like Morley Annear Limited, a trucking company in Montague that relies on the ferry service to transport goods to the mainland. "I think eastern P.E.I. should be applauding that we're going to have a two-vessel operation again," said Scott Annear, the company's owner. "It was crippling on this end of the Island." Upcoming impact study The Eastern P.E.I. Chamber of Commerce will be conducting an impact study to gather more information about how the ferry service affects local business, Aitken said. "We've felt for some time as a chamber that we do not have enough information about the impact of the ferry service in eastern P.E.I. to the various industry sectors," he said. "Without adequate information, we can't… make any demands for better support in the service. That's really what the impact study is going to do for us." In Pictou, the mayor said anecdotal information suggests the ferry disruptions had effects on businesses in the area. "There was no doubt, anecdotally, that it was creating an issue for some of our business owners," Rayan 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.
