Changes Made to the Provincial Ferry Service

To ensure mandatory ferry refit work moves forward as planned, and to minimize disruptions to the travelling public, the Department of Transportation and Works is re-deploying several vessels within the provincial ferry fleet. The department is also decommissioning the MV Nonia from the ferry service.

“Our key goal is to ensure that the provincial ferry service has sufficient capacity both throughout the year and during the peak summer period to meet the needs of the travelling public,” said the Honourable Paul Davis, Minister of Transportation and Works. “This is an interconnected provincial ferry service. Vessels have to be deployed to best meet mandatory refit requirements, and the needs of affected communities.”

Following refit, the MV Hazel McIsaac is returning to the Green Bay run with the MV Sound of Islay moving to the St. Brendan’s ferry service.

The MV Grace Sparkes is moving from the St. Brendan’s run to be deployed to Bell Island as the replacement for the MV Beaumont Hamel which is entering refit February 18 for approximately 10 weeks.

The MV Beaumont Hamel will provide service to Fogo Island-Change Islands upon completing required refit work. This will enable the MV Capt. Earl W Winsor to enter refit. It is expected to remain in refit until late June. Upon the return of the MV Capt. Earl W Winsor the MV Beaumont Hamel will go back to Bell Island and the MV Grace Sparkes to St. Brendan’s.

The MV Nonia is currently in dry dock, and is not expected to return to service until January 2014. Given this time frame and the estimated cost of $9 million to complete repairs, a decision was made to remove it from the provincial fleet, have it decommissioned and sold. The vessel was acquired in 1999 at a cost of $1.2 million. Including purchasing costs, approximately $19 million has been spent to date to keep it in service.

“The time has come to focus our ferry resources and make more sound investments in new purpose-built vessels rather than spending large amounts of funds annually to keep the Nonia,” said Minister Davis. “We are moving forward with a request for proposals for the construction of new vessels as part of the ferry replacement plan while seeking available vessels that meet the province’s needs.”

The Provincial Government spent approximately $82 million in 2012 to operate the provincial ferry service. Through ferry user fees, approximately $5 million is generated in revenue. Over 90 cents of every dollar to provide the ferry service throughout the province is publicly funded.

- 30 -

Media contact:
Ed Moriarity
Director of Communications
Department of Transportation and Works
709-729-3015, 699-5668
edmoriarity@gov.nl.ca 

BACKGROUNDER
Changes Made to Provincial Ferry Service

There are 17 vessels in the provincial ferry fleet serving 15 routes.

All vessels in the fleet, no matter the age, must go through a mandatory annual refit as required by Transport Canada. This ensures that vessels are safe to operate. Refits are necessary to carry out federally regulated inspections of a vessel, and to carry out repairs that cannot be done while the vessel is in service. A vessel can have up to 35 various certificates and system checks.

The MV Grace Sparkes, with a capacity of 80 passengers and 16 vehicles, is the largest vessel available to support the Bell Island run while the MV Beaumont Hamel is in refit.

The MV Nonia will be decommissioned and sold. The vessel was acquired in 1999 at a cost of $1.2 million. Including purchasing costs, approximately $19 million has been spent to date to keep it in service. An additional $9 million would be required to repair steel and meet Transport Canada standards.

The Provincial Government is focused on the new construction of purpose-built vessels as part of the ferry replacement plan. A request for proposals was announced for two newly constructed ferries for service in Newfoundland, and a new vehicle, passenger and freight service for Labrador. www.releases.gov.nl.ca/releases/2012/tw/1217n03.htm 

The provincial ferry fleet is more than 90 per cent subsidized by public funds.

2013 02 15             12:10 p.m.