New ferry study review

The province has asked an expert panel to review existing studies on ferry service between Yarmouth and the United States, says a news release from the NDP government. The panel is also charged with meeting with key groups to evaluate the conditions required for a viable service. 

The panel of tourism, ferry and business experts will provide arms-length, independent advice to help the province formulate a definitive recommendation on a ferry service, according to the release. 

"The communities in southwest Nova Scotia want to see a ferry service return, as does the government," said Premier Darrell Dexter. "I look forward to hearing the panel's advice on what needs to be an economically viable solution for the long term."

The panel includes Peter Nicholson, former president and CEO for the Council of Canadian Academies as chair; Michele McKenzie, president and CEO of the Canadian Tourism Commission; and Elizabeth Beale, president and CEO of the Atlantic Provinces Economics Council. Mary Brooks, chair of commerce, Dalhousie School of Business Administration, will lead a team from Dalhousie University that will manage the review process.  

Brooks is one of the founding members of the International Association of Maritime Economists, and is also the founder and chair of the Port Performance Research Network, a network of more than 50 scholars interested in port governance and port performance issues. McKenzie is a former deputy minister with Nova scotia department of tourism

Donna Hatt, marketing manager for White Point Resort, told SCT she was encouraged by the announcement. "The panel is an impressive one and we look forward to hearing an objective and independent report."

Ed Cayer, a Shelburne-based economist and economic development consultant who has worked closely with the Shelburne and Area Chamber of Commerce on its efforts to have a ferry re-instituted, told SCT that he hoped that, in addition to reviewing existing studies, the panel would also consider a more fundemental review about the feasibility of a Yarmouth ferry. Chamber president Jim Spencer said he thought the panel review a good idea and "one which is long overdue."

"Working together with the province is an exciting step forward as we explore a business case to support our efforts," said Keith Condon, chair of the Nova Scotia International Ferry Partnership Board. "This expert panel will move us closer to a potential solution for a viable ferry service." 

"The province continues to make strategic investments in southwest Nova Scotia, Dexter added, saying the government will continue to find long-term solutions for a stable economy in southwest Nova Scotia.