Design Contract Awarded for Six New Ferries
Six new ferries for the intra-provincial fleet are one step closer to
construction with the awarding of a design contract to Fleetway Inc.
“We are excited that design work is about to begin for these new ferries,”
said the Honourable Tom Hedderson, Minister of Transportation and Works. “We
are committed to providing quality and effective marine services throughout
the province and the completion of this design will move us closer toward
new vessels to service some of our province’s most rural communities. The
vessels will be constructed here in Newfoundland and Labrador which will
benefit local industry and help employment.”
Five of the new vessels will replace ferries currently serving the following
routes on the south coast of Newfoundland:
• La Poile - Rose Blanche;
• Francois - Grey River - Burgeo;
• Rencontre East - Pool’s Cove - Bay L’Argent;
• South East Bight - Petite Forte; and,
• Gaultois - McCallum - Hermitage.
The sixth new vessel will serve Williams Harbour and Norman Bay in Southern Labrador.
“It is great to see that the design work will now begin on these six new vessels for rural Newfoundland and Labrador,” said the Honourable John Hickey, Minister of Labrador Affairs. “I am especially pleased to note that once completed, a new vessel to serve Williams Harbour and Norman Bay will help support one of the primary objectives of the Northern Strategic Plan, which is to ensure improved transportation services in Labrador.”
Design work is expected to be completed by early spring 2012. A call for
expressions of interest to construct the vessels is expected to be issued
within the next few months.
“I am pleased to see that our government is moving forward with the design
phase for these new vessels,” said the Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of
Fisheries and Aquaculture and MHA for Burin-Placentia West. “We are
committed to ensuring reliable and effective ferry services for residents of
our island and isolated coastal communities and this is indeed a positive
step forward.”
“This new vessel design will lead to the replacement of all five vessels
currently serving the south coast of Newfoundland and we certainly look
forward to that,” said Tracey Perry, MHA for Fortune Bay - Cape La Hune.
“New vessels will greatly benefit these isolated communities whose residents
rely on marine transportation for travel and the delivery of supplies.”
Budget 2010: The Right Investments – For Our Children and Our Future
allocated a record $1 billion for provincial infrastructure investments, for
a total infrastructure strategy valued at more than $5 billion over the next
several years. As part of this investment, $55 million is allocated in
2010-11 to continue with the vessel replacement strategy. Including the
design of these six new vessels, the Provincial Government is currently
engaged in various stages of work towards the construction of ten new
vessels in total for the provincial service.
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Media contacts:
Roger Scaplen Director of Communications Department of Transportation and Works 709-729-3015, 697-5267 rogerscaplen@gov.nl.ca |
John Tompkins Director of Communications Department of Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs 709-729-1674, 728-7762 jtompkins@gov.nl.ca |
Andrew Tobin Executive Assistant to Hon. Clyde Jackman, MHA Burin–Placentia West 709-729-7967 andrewwtobin@gov.nl.ca |
Donna Ivey Communications Manager Government Members Office 709-729-0898, 697-1424 donnaivey@gov.nl.ca |
2011 01 11
10:55 a.m.