Latest news with #NorthumberlandFerriesLimited
Toronto Sun
23-07-2025
- General
- Toronto Sun
P.E.I. ferry fire in 2022 prompts national investigation by safety board
Published Jul 23, 2025 • 1 minute read A Canadian Coast Guard boat heads out to the MV Holiday Island, a Northumberland Ferries Limited vessel that caught fire on July 22, 2022 and continued to burn on July 23. Photo by SaltWire file CHARLOTTETOWN — Canada's transportation safety board has launched a national investigation into fires aboard ships and the responses to them. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The independent agency announced the investigation in its report released today on a fire that broke out aboard a ferry as it approached a terminal in Prince Edward Island in July 2022. The fire on the MV Holiday Island started in the engine room after a repair to its fuel injection system failed. The agency says there was confusion over who was responsible for the ferry's safety. It recommends that Transport Canada provide better guidance to reduce the risk of vessels operating without minimum safety requirements. The board says its national investigation will consider how to improve systemic safety gaps related to ship fires. Canada Golf Toronto & GTA Ontario Sunshine Girls
CTV News
23-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
Transportation Safety Board launches investigation into 2022 P.E.I. ferry fire
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) released its investigation report alongside a recommendation regarding the fire and flooding on the Holiday Island ferry back in 2022. According to the report, the fire broke out in the engine room of the Holiday Island ferry after a non-standard repaid to the ferry's fuel injection system failed, causing fuel to spray onto hot engine components and ignite on July 22, 2022. About 230 passengers had to evacuate the ship using an inflatable slide and were later ferried ashore. No injuries were reported in the fire. Two days later, the ferry was towed to the Wood Islands terminal where it was declared a constructive total loss. The Board said a key issue that was uncovered through the investigation was confusion regarding the role of the authorized representative, which is the person legally responsible for the ferry's safety. The investigation found the Minister of Transport held the role of authorized representative, with some responsibilities shared between Transport Canada and Northumberland Ferries Limited through a charter agreement. It was also found staff at both organizations were unsure of what that role entailed and who was ultimately responsible for carrying out those obligations. 'The lack of clarity extended into critical areas such as operations, emergency repairs, and oversight,' read the report. 'This investigation, along with others before it, has identified a lack of understanding and awareness of the roles and responsibilities of authorized representatives in the industry.' The report also made one recommendation; Transport Canada provide comprehensive guidance for authorized representatives which outlines the full scope of their responsibilities. The recommendation also said that guidance should help authorized representatives understand and comply with applicable regulations, which the Board says will reduce the risk of vessels and crews operating without the minimum safety regulations. The Board also noted key issues found in the investigation were not unique to the Holiday Island ferry, instead they reflect systematic safety gaps the Board says they've been trying to raise for decades, specifically regarding clarity of roles, accountability and emergency preparedness in the marine sector of Canada. 'This investigation adds to a growing list of vessel fires overwhelming a crew's ability to respond, highlighting the risks and urgent need for more effective response capabilities when every second counts,' read the report. The Board adds they will be engaging with other marine operators, firefighting services, ports and harbours, and other key partners in hopes of building a clearer understanding of vessel fires and how they are managed. The MV Holiday operated from 1971, first between P.E.I and N.B., then to Nova Scotia after the Confederation Bridge was opened in 1997 before it was destroyed in the fire in 2022. The Transportation Safety Board is an independent agency which investigates air, marine, pipeline, and rail transportation occurrences with the aim of advancing transportation safety. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
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.
