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July 29, 2013

LePage pledges support of Maine-based ferry proposal

Gov. Paul LePage has pledged state support to a Maine company that is among the three bidders seeking to restore ferry service between Nova Scotia and New England.

In a July 23 letter to Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter, LePage said Maine would offer assistance to STM Quest, a partnership among the Eliot-based Quest Navigation, ST Marine Ltd. of Singapore and International Shipping Partners of Miami, if the province selects its proposal to restore ferry service between Portland and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. LePage’s letter indicated the financial support would include allocating state resources for marketing, securing an operating line of credit for $5 million and assisting with capital needs on Portland’s waterfront.

STM Quest’s bid is the only one that explicitly reestablishes Portland-to-Nova Scotia service although the two other bidders, P&O Ferries of England and Balearia Caribbean Ltd. of Miami, have not ruled out Portland as a destination port.

The Portland Press Herald reported that representatives of the Maine-based partnership are heading to Canada today to meet with a review committee to discuss their proposal for a Nova Scotia ferry that would depart and return from Portland's Ocean Gateway terminal, a $20.5 million facility jointly owned by the city and state.

The Canadian province is pledging $21 million in subsidies over seven years to restart the new ferry operation.

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