Latest news with #MVNorthumberland
CBC
23-06-2025
- CBC
N.S.-P.E.I. ferry service reduced this week due to 'unusually low tides,' company says
Ferry service between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia will operate on a reduced schedule this week due to "unusually low tides," Northumberland Ferries Ltd. said. From June 24 to 28, the company said on its website that it will be limiting vehicle capacity on some sailings and cancelling others altogether. Passengers are urged to book their tickets in advance, as space for standby travellers will be limited. Cancelled sailings are: June 24 Depart Caribou at 1:30 p.m. Depart Wood Islands at 3:15 p.m. June 25 Depart Caribou at 1:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. Depart Wood Islands at 3:15 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. June 26 Depart Caribou at 5 p.m. Depart Wood Islands at 6:30 p.m. June 27 Depart Caribou at 5 p.m. Depart Wood Islands at 6:30 p.m. June 28 Depart Wood Islands at 6:30 p.m. The ferry route between Wood Islands, P.E.I., and Caribou, N.S., is currently serviced by two ships — the MV Confederation and the MV Northumberland. This is the first season the MV Northumberland — previously the MV Fanafjord — is on the water. The federal government purchased the vehicle and passenger ferry from its Norwegian owner for $43 million in 2023 as a replacement for the Holiday Island, which had to be scrapped after a fire in the summer of 2022. With both vessels in service, Northumberland Ferries typically have eight scheduled crossings a day. The only other option for crossing between Prince Edward Island and mainland Canada by vehicle is the Confederation Bridge, which connects western P.E.I. and New Brunswick.
CBC
13-06-2025
- CBC
2-ferry service between N.S. and P.E.I. is set to resume for the season Sunday
The ferry service between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia will have two ships in rotation for the busy tourist season starting Sunday, June 15. This is the first season the MV Northumberland — previously the MV Fanafjord — will be on the water. The federal government purchased the vehicle and passenger ferry from its Norwegian owner for $43 million in 2023 as a replacement for the Holiday Island, which had to be scrapped after a fire in the summer of 2022. With both the MV Confederation and MV Northumberland in service, Northumberland Ferries will have eight scheduled crossings a day. Departures will take place about every 90 minutes, with the first at 7 a.m. and the last at 6:30 p.m. The only other option for crossing between Prince Edward Island and mainland Canada by vehicle is the Confederation Bridge, which connects western P.E.I. and New Brunswick.
CBC
17-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Ferry service between P.E.I. and N.S. will be more reliable this season, CEO promises
Officials with Northumberland Ferries Ltd. say they're confident this year's ferry season will be better and more reliable than last year's. The seasonal ferry service that runs between P.E.I. and Nova Scotia is scheduled to begin May 1 and will include MV Northumberland, a vessel Transport Canada bought from Norwegian owners that is being added to the service. It was formerly called MV Fanafjord. "I think the general public is going to be very impressed with that vessel," said Mark Wilson, the president and CEO of Northumberland Ferries. "There is more redundancy on that vessel in case something does happen with an engine or with a thruster. There is the ability to continue to sail safely and reliability." The Northumberland Strait ferry service has been struggling since the Holiday Island was scrapped after a fire in the summer of 2022, leaving only MV Confederation on the run. That ship and MV Saareema, leased from the Quebec ferry service for two seasons, then faced their own share of problems. Ferry firm hopes for a trouble-free season as new vessel added: 'It's darn near close to a new ship' 1 hour ago Duration 2:38 The seasonal ferry service that runs between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia will start operation on May 1. Northumberland Ferries says it's doing everything it can to move on from the mechanical problems from last season, and promises the service will be more reliable this year. CBC's Wayne Thibodeau reports. The Confederation ran into the wharf at Wood Islands last year, leaving it out of service for four weeks. Having two boats in service this year should ensure a more reliable service, Wilson said, noting that both vessels have gone through pre-season maintenance. 'It's absolutely vital': business leaders For business leaders in eastern P.E.I., improvements to the ferry service's reliability are critical. "We know the travelling public is struggling with the notion of planning on using the ferry, especially from the commercial side," said Blair Aitken, the president of the Eastern P.E.I. Chamber of Commerce. Businesses that have lost confidence in the ferry service have opted instead to use the Confederation Bridge that links western P.E.I. to New Brunswick, Aitken said. "We're hopeful that Northumberland Ferries has plans of some sort to bring back public confidence in their system," he said, noting that a reliable, dependable service would do that over time. Aitken said he's hoping to see a season that begins and runs without maintenance issues, and operates on schedule with a reservation system that serves the public's leisure and commercial needs. "It's absolutely vital. I mean, it's vital to the eastern region, it's extremely important to the Island in general," he said. "The ferry system is highly important to the people of the region, to the businesses of the region on both sides of the strait." Any issues with the service this year will be magnified in the eyes of the public, Aitken warned. Season starts May 1 As the ferry season inches closer, one outstanding issue remains: the new ship is a tight fit into the dock at Wood Islands, NFL's Wilson said. "It fits well into Caribou. It fits OK into Wood Islands," he said. "We need to do some more modifications on the rubber blocks, but it's not a big deal." Transport Canada told CBC News it's working with the ferry operator to ensure the vessels are ready for the start of the season. MV Confederation will begin service for the season on May 1, and MV Northumberland will begin service in mid-June. During peak season, the service will offer eight round trips a day. To welcome it to eastern P.E.I., the Northumberland will be open to the general public on April 26 and 27 as part of Doors Open Down East event. The ship will depart the Wood Islands dock at 3:30 p.m. on April 27 to make its way back across the Northumberland Strait to Nova Scotia, where it has been docked at Pictou.
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.
