Global Courant
Just one day after service resumed after a two-week shutdown due to a mechanical issue, ferry service between PEI and Nova Scotia has been canceled for the remainder of Sunday.
Northumberland Ferries sent a text message around 2pm on Sunday to tell customers that MV Confederation will not operate between Wood Islands and Caribou due to “technical issues”.
The ferry had two more round trips to do on Sunday, with departures from Wood Islands scheduled for 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. The ship is now docked in Wood Islands.
The ferry was shut down on June 17. Service was resumed on Saturday after a component was installed.
Mark Wilson, senior vice president at Northumberland Ferries, said Sunday’s cancellation was due to another issue.
“The port main engine clutch that has been repaired is functioning properly,” Wilson said in an email. “The technical problem is now in the starboard main engine clutch.”
Wilson said ferry operations have been canceled for the rest of the day.
“The NFL will provide guidance on expected recovery times later today,” he said.
Service stops ‘crushing’
The new closure is a slap in the face to some PEI business owners, who were just told on Saturday that ferry service would resume ahead of schedule.
Northumberland Ferries had initially announced that the closure could last until mid-July, as the part needed to repair the ship would have to be built from scratch and shipped from Germany.
Wood Islands business owners had told CBC News the extended closure would be devastating to them as they rely on visitors coming to the island by ferry.
I said it was devastating when we first heard (of a cancellation). This is almost worse.— Katherine Bryson, Councilor, Belfast City Council
Katherine Bryson is a local business owner and councilor for Belfast City Council. After the closure was announced, she began working on a campaign encouraging people to buy locally. The campaign is funded by Tourism PEI and is expected to launch next week.
“It’s crushing us,” Bryson said. “You get to such a high spot where the ferry is running again and then you’re just at absolute low as soon as you hear it’s down.
MV Saaremaa I, the chartered vessel that replaced MV Holiday Island after a fire took it out of service last July, is drydocked in Quebec. (Carolyn Ryan/CBC)
“We are so desperately dependent on a reliable service with two ferries. A lot of these entrepreneurs are seasonal and they need that reliable service for that short season. So I said it was terrible when we first heard (of a cancellation) . This is almost worse.”
The Confederation is the only ship currently operating between PEI and NS
MV Saaremaa I, the chartered vessel that replaced MV Holiday Island after it was taken out of service by fire last July, is drydocked in Quebec. It is planned to return to the PEI-Nova Scotia route in mid-July.
The federal government is the legal owner of the Confederacy. A permanent replacement of the Holiday Island has been budgeted for, but that ship is still in the design phase and will not be ready until 2028 at the earliest.
