NOT HOPEFUL: In the wake of the recent flurry of news surrounding the release of a June, 2011 report by Garner Pinfold consulting regarding the prospects for re-establishing a ferry link between Nova Scotia and New England, economic and rural development and tourism minister Percy Paris told reporters at the launch of the 2011 Tourism Summit in Halifax that he was not hopeful that a ferry service could be put in place by the 2012 season.
The recent report that tourism visits to Nova Scotia were down in September led Yarmouth officials to claim that this was likely the result of the lack of a ferry. Paris diagreed, saying that statistics clearly show that visits to Nova Scotia via the ferry had "decreased by 80% in the ten years prior to the ferry service ending." In an interview with SCT, Paris said that his department would seriously consider any proposal from a ferry operator which put forward a solid business case for an investment or subsidy from the Nova Scotia government. “I have yet to see any solid proposal,” Paris told SCT. Asked whether the Gardner Pinfold report affected his view of the viability for a ferry, Paris said, “The assumptions in that report are very, very generous as far as outcomes.” Paris said he suspected the accuracy of some of the conclusions in the report.
NO DEEP POCKETS: Paris pointed out that neither the federal government or partners in Maine have “come to the table” on the ferry issue, saying that the provincial government is unlikely to foot the entire bill for a ferry service, sasying that the provincial pockets "are not that deep.". In a recent interview with SCT, premier Darrell Dexter said that the most recent proposal he had seen included a subsidy of $50-100 million dollars over a ten year period, which he described as a “non-starter.”
POLITICAL GRANDSTANDING NOT HELPFUL: Keith Condon, chair of the International Ferry Partnership formed earlier this year in Yarmouth, told SCT that they have contacted more than 40 ferry operators the world over, but have yet to get a viable proposal for the service. On a weekend radio show in Yarmouth, Condon said that his committee was establishing a good working relationship with the provincial and federal governments, something which had been damaged by the public rancor from Yarmouth politicians towards the NDP government after the previous ferry subsidy was ternminated. "It doesn't help anything to have politicians jumping up in the house with accusations."
Committee co-chair and former cabinet minister Neil LeBlanc said that he had been speaking with many officials from the USA about the service and that none of them seemed interested in committing any funds to get the service operating again. Condon said that time was defintely running very short for a 2012 service, but that hee was hopeful of finding an operator for 2013.
Photos: Percy Paris, Keith Condon
Comments
No doubt the ferry boosted tourism:however, what was the net cost.Seed money yes. Annual boost no! If it was viable businesses would nip at it. The Cat was a bad dream. Move on.
The longer this matter of finding a new ferry service drags on, the less likely it will happen. Now that it looks like a fading dream for 2012 it is pushed back even further. It seems like it is all a matter of politics. There has to be some long-term solution out there which will give a boost life hope for Southwest NS. And if tourism had been in decline before the ferry went offthe need is to become more creative in promoting Nova Scotia in other areas because it is a fantastic tourist destination.
It is only viable if it pays for itself! Governments of all jurisdictions can no longer support business that
can not sat alone.The Cat was an obvious losser from the beginning.It would do Southwest NS more good if tourism was set to keep them here not just unload them for Metro and Cape Breton.The loss of the ferry has greatly affected B&B's in Truro so not just SouthWest Nova is suffering.Maybe its time for a Shelburne ferry. Oops sorry,the wharf is rotting away...............
I wonder who does their math. A $50 million subsidy over ten years is $5 million a year or $100,000 a week or at 5 trips a week $20,000 subsidy per round trip or $10,000 subsidy one way. I wonder how much fuel does a ferry burn one way.