A local task force wants regional voices heard when the future of the Princess of Acadia ferry is decided.
Three days of consultation with the region will he held June 26-28 in Digby.
Almost a year after Bay Ferries stunned Nova Scotia by announcing an end of the service between Digby and Saint John, N.B., the ferry’s fate still hangs in the balance.
Federal and provincial government funding only put off a shutdown to December, 2008.
That deadline is marching closer and Ottawa has commissioned an analysis of ferry traffic over the past 10 years, and an examination of the service itself.
But the federal study doesn’t appear as interested in the views of those affected across southwestern Nova Scotia, according to a coalition of municipal governments and economic interests in southwestern Nova Scotia.
The Bay of Fundy Transportation Coalition has formed a task force to focus attention on the regional importance of the ferry.
Christopher Wright of Digby, president of the consulting firm Mariport Group Ltd., has been hired by the task force to look at the impact if the service is withdrawn. He also will be looking at whether an improved service might mean more ferry business from industry and individuals.
His preliminary report is expected by June 26 when the task force holds its consultations in Digby.
Task force spokesman Jim Thurber, warden of the Municipality of Digby, said sessions June 26 and 27 will listen to municipal politicians and invited representatives of major industries such as fishing, forestry and tourism. The sessions will be held in the Municipality of Digby council chambers.
Twenty-two municipal units from Lunenburg around to Wolfville have been invited to participate in the sessions.
A public session is planned for June 28 in the Digby Fire Hall and is open to anyone, said Thurber.
Mariport, which has considerable experience in ferry service development and marketing, is using a web-based survey and telephone interviewing to reach six stakeholder groups that the coalition believes have a role to play in the future of the ferry.
The survey takes only a few minutes to complete online and is posted on the company website, www.mariport.com
The web survey is already helping find the views of regional businesses and individuals, said Wright.
He has talked to store and restaurant owners in Digby and is reaching out to other communities.
Information was emailed June 11 to tourism operators, and placards are posted in a number of area post offices and local supermarkets.
“I’m very pleased with the reaction so far. We are getting quite a lot of individual responses. We’re getting some very good comments from people, very thoughtful.”
The first responses came from regional tourism businesses.
“Some are saying the ferry is a very, very important part of their business. Some have said the financial hit (if service closed down) would be quite serious,” he said.
But he notes some tourism operators are not as dependent on ferry passengers and were less concerned.
“What we’re trying to do is to have a solid position paper for the task force to put in front of the federal government,” he said.
jdemings@digbycourier.ca
Pondering the Princess’s future
Pondering the Princess’s future
Task force commissions survey of region’s views on ferry importance
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