Latest news with #MarineAtlantic
CTV News
23-05-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Strong winds and rains cause cancellations and closures across the Maritimes
Environment Canada issued a Les Suêtes Wind Warning for Inverness County, N.S. on Friday. Southeasterly gusts up to 100km/h are expected in Margaree Harbour to Bay St. Lawrence throughout the day but expected to slow down at night. Environment Canada warns the winds could cause injuries or damage, saying drivers should be cautious and prepare to make alternate routes due to diminished driving conditions. Rain and high winds have also caused several ferry cancellations across the Atlantic region, including: the Marine Atlantic ferry between Syndey, N.S. and Port aux Basques, N.L. the Northumberland ferry between Wood Islands, P.E.I. and Caribou, N.S. the CAT ferry between Bar Harbor, ME and Yarmouth, N.S. Sports fields in Charlottetown were closed for the day and the Confederation Bridge speeds have been reduced. CTV Atlantic meteorologist Kalin Mitchell says thunderstorms and wet weather are expected to continue into the weekend. But fast-moving winds will prevent rain from staying in one area for too long.
CBC
28-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Furey says Marine Atlantic fares should be axed as 'a matter of fairness,' in response to P.E.I. promise
Statement comes as federal party leaders promise to eliminate or reduce Confederation Bridge toll in P.E.I. Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey says the Marine Atlantic fee should be axed, citing an election campaign promise by some federal politicians to eliminate the toll on P.E.I.'s Confederation Bridge. Furey says he spoke this week with Liberal Leader Mark Carney about interprovincial trade barriers. One of those barriers, Furey says, is the cost of travelling and transporting goods to Newfoundland by boat — specifically on board vessels owned by Marine Atlantic, the Crown corporation that operates a year-round ferry service between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. "Every time a vehicle comes on, whether it's for tourism or for services and goods, there's essentially a toll. And we want to get rid of that toll," Furey told reporters on Thursday. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said he would eliminate the tolls on the bridge between New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Liberal Leader Mark Carney hinted he had "positive news" coming on bridge tolls and ferry rates. Furey said he wants a similar offer for Newfoundland and Labrador. "It is a matter of fairness and equivalency," he told reporters. Furey didn't go into detail Thursday about what specific fee should be cut, but in an email to CBC News on Friday, spokesperson Meghan McCabe clarified that Furey was referring to Marine Atlantic fares being either reduced or eliminated, potentially for passenger and commercial vehicles. She said that would not necessarily extend to other Marine Atlantic ticket fees, like those for cabins. "The issue is that like the bridge in P.E.I., the ferry serves as an extension of the TCH for us," McCabe wrote. Furey said the move would cost the federal government an estimated $120 million, and that it would be equivalent to P.E.I.'s offer. "That offer should exist for the people of our province. There should be no fees on Marine Atlantic. That is a resolution that is based on fairness," he said. "It's a solution based on eliminating internal trade barriers and the cost of living. And of course, it's constitutionally protected in our Terms of Union 75 years ago." A barrier Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture Minister Gerry Byrne has also referred to Marine Atlantic as a barrier to interprovincial free trade. "There is an impediment to successful trade with the rest of the country created by Transport Canada, not Marine Atlantic, created by the government of Canada," Byrne recently told CBC Radio's On The Go. He wants trucks carrying goods on Marine Atlantic ferries to be able to drive on to the ferry at no cost. "If we had the same deal that P.E.I. is about to get, the economy of Newfoundland and Labrador would literally have to be measured by an increase in the billions," said Byrne. He said the benefits could be big for this province, including thousands more jobs and the growth of the provincial GDP by hundreds of millions of dollars. 'Key' to economic growth Minister of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation Steve Crocker said access is the greatest challenge to cultivating the province's tourism industry. Adding ferry capacity is vital for growing the tourism sector, as well as other industries that make up Newfoundland and Labrador's economy, Crocker said. "We need to get goods and services into and out of this province, and Marine Atlantic is key to that," he said. Image | Tourism Minister Steve Crocker Caption: Tourism Minister Steve Crocker says increasing Marine Atlantic ferry crossings is key to growing the province's economy. (Elizabeth Whitten/CBC) Open Image in New Tab Additional ferry runs would add capacity during peak seasons, and a swing vessel that would be used in rotation during those busy months could also help, he added. It comes as both tourism operators and the provincial government hope Canadian travellers boycotting the U.S. will instead visit Newfoundland and Labrador. "If you wanna come to Newfoundland, Labrador, we wanna make it as easy as possible for you to get [here]," said Crocker. Tourism needs help Provincial politicians aren't the only ones behind the push to convince Ottawa to subsidize Marine Atlantic fares. Tourism industry association Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador has started a letter-writing campaign targeting federal party leaders, asking them to look at the ferry service's affordability, consider competitive pricing models and to recognize ferry access as a national infrastructure issue. "We feel it's a pivotal time right now in tourism, in growth of tourism in Newfoundland and Labrador," chair John Devereaux told CBC Radio's The St. John's Morning Show prior to Furey's comments about Marine Atlantic. Ferry capacity is a big problem during the peak summer season, said Devereaux. He added some potential visitors want to make the journey but due to the cost, sometimes can't. Marine Atlantic spokesperson Darrell Mercer declined to comment, as Marine Atlantic is a federal Crown corporation and due to the ongoing campaign, the government is in a caretaker role.
CBC
17-02-2025
- Climate
- CBC
N.S. digging out after another winter storm
Nova Scotians are grabbing their shovels and salt buckets for the second time in the last week after snow, ice pellets and freezing rain peppered much of the province on Sunday. In Halifax, residents were chipping away at the ice on Monday morning. Salt shortages were widely reported online across the municipality, as people tried to stock up amidst all the freezing rain. Many were still reeling from a winter storm last Thursday that closed schools and led to dangerous road conditions. "Literally last week my girlfriend's car got written off because a car slid into it due to the weather in our neighbourhood," said Dylan Purchase, who was shovelling out. "It's all black ice … so it makes it hard to get to work and stuff. It's just been pretty chaotic." One Haligonian, lacking an ice pick, was using a practice golf club to hack away at the ice in his driveway. "It's proved quite effective at breaking up the ice," said Bruce Rands. Power outages were reported throughout the province on Monday, but as of 2 p.m., less than 1,000 customers were without power. Marine Atlantic cancelled Monday night's sailings between North Sydney, N.S., and Port aux Basques, N.L., due to the weather. A wind warning was in effect for much of the province, with winds of up to 90 km/h expected. The strongest gusts were expected along the coast, said Environment Canada.
CBC
30-01-2025
- Business
- CBC
Furey looks to federal government, buying local to help push back against possible U.S. tariffs
With U.S. tariffs possibly coming into effect as early as Saturday, Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey gathered industry and labour leaders to discuss responses, but many are still waiting on the federal government for a plan. On Thursday afternoon, Furey gathered dozens of industry association leaders and labour representatives to discuss a response to U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods, even telling them to have their cell phones close by on Saturday when the tariffs could come into effect. "This could be perceived as a strong attack on our sovereignty and independence and our national identity," Furey told reporters. "Because this will be the moment where people look back and say, 'Well, when did Canada change? Did we stand up? Did we meet the moment? Did we have the courage for future generations to protect the maple leaf?'" But instead of laying out ways the provincial government would support industries that stand to be impacted, Furey pointed to the federal government to formulate a "robust plan" to help. "They have levers that provincial governments don't have — they have monetary policies, they have different fiscal room, they have different fiscal instruments, different fiscal capacity — than we do, here, as a provincial government," he said. Furey said he'd like to see a COVID-19-style relief package as well as enhanced EI support and Marine Atlantic fees reduced. Sovereignty under threat Earlier this month, Furey said Trump's threats to use "economic force" to absorb Canada was a threat to Canada's sovereignty and was "unacceptable." In response to the tariff threat, the federal government announced a $1.3-billion border package, which includes sending drones to patrol the border as well as two leased helicopters. On Thursday, Furey said these border measures were good news for Canadians, but that it's a fallacy that Canada is exporting large amounts of drugs or immigrants into the U.S. — which is one of the reasons Trump's team suggested as the motivation for the tariffs. "That is not true. That is a bilateral issue. It's not a unilateral issue," said Furey. However, he said Canada should be establishing a strong border to protect Canadians and it enhances Canada's sovereignty. Buy local The provincial government will push a buy local campaign. It's expected to roll out in the next few days. However, local products can be more expensive and there is an ongoing rising cost of living crisis to contend with. Furey didn't say if there will be any relief cheques sent out. "We'll address the issues as they arise. Make no mistake, there will be an acute impact immediately on industries like the fishery, like the forestry industry," he said. He also said Newfoundland and Labrador needs to look at diversifying its trading partners, but didn't name any specifically the government was looking into. "In some way, the president has done us a favour in helping us look internally. Should we be relying on one single partner? These are incredible products that can be sold anywhere in the world." Heightened concerns Fish, Food and Allied Workers union president Dawn Street said members are worried about incoming tariffs, especially as it could impact collective bargaining. Last year, 90 per cent of Newfoundland and Labrador snow crab ended up in the U.S. Street said that's an amount that Newfoundland and Labrador consumers can't absorb, and that diversifying into new markets won't happen quickly. "We're really concerned what it's going to mean on consumer buying power in the United States. Snow crab is such a niche product and consumers will try to find cheaper alternatives," Street said. Energy N.L. CEO Charlene Johnson said the oil and gas industry is the most significant contributor to the province's GDP, accounting for 23 per cent. She said oil is unique because it can be shipped anywhere in the world and doesn't need to rely on one customer. However, she said if oil prices drop, that will impact production and would negatively impact the sector. "One thing that has really come to light with all of this, is the importance of energy security and how we should be producing more oil in Newfoundland and Labrador and supplying our lower carbon product to the world," Johnson said. With the economic uncertainty, Johnson argued it wasn't a good time for the federal government bring in an emissions cap, which she said would drive investment away. But PC Leader Tony Wakeham says the provincial government's approach is lacking. "What is the plan? Where is the concrete plan for each of these industries to say that here's what we're going to be doing going forward? It's nice to announce what you're going to do, but my question is what have you done?" he said. "That's the question that hasn't been answered and we've known about this since November." Wakeham agrees the federal government has to be a part of the solution.
