November 8, 1999
(Tourism, Culture and Recreation)

Update on status of Gulf Ferry report

Charles Furey, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, today called upon David Collenette, federal Minister of Transportation, to respond to the provincial government's report on the gulf ferry service, On Deck and Below, which was released on October 4, 1999.

"The provincial government released On Deck and Below with 24 recommendations for the gulf ferry service, more than a month ago. As of today, not one of the recommendations has been actioned by the federal government," said Minister Furey. "We are calling upon Minister Collenette to give Newfoundlanders and Labradorians a response to this report."

The report's 24 recommendations included the need to change the vessel refit schedule, purchase or lease a night ferry to expand capacity, empower the board to make decisions, restructure the board of directors, freeze ferry rates and make service improvements.

Minister Furey noted: "While we are pleased to see that Marine Atlantic has sent a technical team to Europe to investigate available vessels, we still need a commitment as soon as possible. I continue to be concerned about the lack of a published schedule in time for travellers and tour operators to make their plans for the Vikings!1000 celebrations in the year 2000. The province has recorded another record-breaking tourism year in 1999. We want to build on this continued momentum for the year 2000. I look forward to an immediate decision on a new vessel and a published schedule for the year 2000 so we get out and market Newfoundland and Labrador as an exciting tourism destination."

In addition to tourism issues, truckers continue to have a number of concerns about how the current service is negatively impacting their industry, including spoilage of produce, loss of income for truckers and delays in receiving goods. With the peak Christmas season upon them, Furey noted that these concerns by truckers are legitimate and must be addressed by Marine Atlantic.

The minister called upon the federal government to provide a comprehensive response to the 24 recommendations as soon as possible. Minister Furey noted: "Our economy cannot continue to grow if the immediate need for capacity is not addressed. The service remains stressed and the federal government must address the gulf ferry issues in the short and long term."

The minister expressed optimism that the federal government will provide a comprehensive response to the report, as well as a prompt decision to ensure a new ferry for 2000.

Media contact: Mary MacNab, Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, (709) 729-0928.

1999 11 08 2:35 p.m.