Portland-N.S. ferry could return next year
A search for a new company to run ferry service between Portland and Nova Scotia has netted interest from five operators, one of which could begin making trips by next spring.
Dave Whiting, CEO of the Yarmouth Area Industrial Commission in Nova Scotia, told the Portland Press Herald the group will likely pick an operator to resume ferry service after the Oct. 15 proposal deadline. The proposals do not include a high-speed ferry like The Cat service, which operator Bay Ferries Ltd. terminated last year due to declining ridership and the loss of an operating subsidy from the Canadian province. The new ferry could include spas, casino gambling and shows, according to Whiting. A $15 million terminal replacement project is planned in Yarmouth, and Portland plans to start construction in the next two weeks on a $4.8 million deep-water berth at the Ocean Gateway terminal.
Yesterday, an investment group operating as Scotia Cruises announced it was scrapping its plans to operate a ferry between Halifax and Portland next year, according to the paper. A spokesman for the group said it was too late in the season to market the service and attract riders for 2011, but that the group could launch the service in 2012.
Go to the article from the Portland Press Herald >>
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