Communities and businesses in Nova Scotia and New Brunwick will continue to benefit from ferry service between Digby, and Saint John, N.B.
Premier Darrell Dexter and New Brunswick Premier David Alward announced today, March 21, that each province would invest up to $1 million per year in Bay Ferries to operate and maintain the route for three more years.
“The Digby-Saint John ferry service is important to the fishing, agriculture and tourism industries,” said Premier Dexter. “Investing in the businesses and good jobs associated with these industries is what jobsHere, the plan to grow our economy, is all about. Both provinces will work with the federal government to find a viable long-term solution beyond 2014.”
“Our investment in this vital link strengthens New Brunswick’s economic advantage as a leading transportation and logistics hub,” said Premier Alward. “This partnership also provides certainty to help workers and businesses grow our communities through new and better jobs.”
In 2010, the government of Canada announced $41.7 million in new funding to extend ferry services in Atlantic Canada and eastern Quebec until 2014, and the federal government will provide the remainder of the funding required by Bay Ferries to continue service during this period.
Much of the $200-million fishing industry in Southwest Nova Scotia relies on the ferry. Commercial truckers save up to 700 kilometres of driving in each direction, which means they deliver a fresher, more valuable catch, and save money because their trucks can return faster.
The Digby-Saint John ferry service has received $4 million in funding from Nova Scotia since 2006. This agreement is scheduled to end March 31, 2014.