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Poll results

One year after a Canadian company was due to launch a high-speed ferry on runs between Bar Harbor and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia — and 10 years after Bay Ferries Ltd. last sailed the route — the CAT ferry service is scheduled to begin June 26.

But Bar Harbor's gain has been Portland's loss.

Bay Ferries operated the CAT between Bar Harbor and Nova Scotia from 1997 to 2010, and for some of those years also made calls in Portland. The company again served Portland from 2016 to 2018.

At that point, the town of Bar Harbor had purchased the terminal where the CAT once docked, and Bay Ferries said it wanted to return the service to Bar Harbor. The company has since paid for many of the terminal improvements required there.

 

Overall, is Maine better served by the CAT ferry connecting Nova Scotia with Bar Harbor, or with Portland?
Bar Harbor (34%, 38 VOTES)
Portland (66%, 74 VOTES)
Poll Description

One year after a Canadian company was due to launch a high-speed ferry on runs between Bar Harbor and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia — and 10 years after Bay Ferries Ltd. last sailed the route — the CAT ferry service is scheduled to begin June 26.

But Bar Harbor's gain has been Portland's loss.

Bay Ferries operated the CAT between Bar Harbor and Nova Scotia from 1997 to 2010, and for some of those years also made calls in Portland. The company again served Portland from 2016 to 2018.

At that point, the town of Bar Harbor had purchased the terminal where the CAT once docked, and Bay Ferries said it wanted to return the service to Bar Harbor. The company has since paid for many of the terminal improvements required there.

 

  • 112 Votes
  • 5 Comments
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5 Comments

  • February 28, 2020

    Bar Harbor would gain huge benefits from the tourism. It would also give the folks an opportunity to drive through Maine and explore outward... if they want to visit Portland too, they could drive down there and do amazing things for the Maine economy!

  • February 27, 2020

    This ferry is all about tourism and, to a lesser degree, about freight movements. Having it in Bar Harbor benefits Maine tourism in general considerably more than it would in Portland. DownEast Maine and Nova Scotia are historically and geographically tied and the ferry make it possible to combine the two destinations. Since the service is just seasonal the freight aspects don't add much to the equation.

  • February 26, 2020

    Traveling from either Portland or Bar Harbor to Halifax via ferry would not make sense if you look at a map. Halifax is on the Northeastern side of Nova Scotia, not only is driving your car on the highway faster, being exposed to the weather on the Eastern shore of Nova Scotia would not make for a pleasant trip; especially for people who don't travel by sea often.

    As to where makes the most sense for tourists, I think if you goal is simply to get from point A to point B, a plane makes more sense than driving. If you are on vacation and your goal is to enjoy the trip, Bar Harbor to Yarmouth seems like the most logical ports. Bar Harbor is home to one of the most popular National Parks in the US and Yarmouth is a beautiful quaint town in which offers a true Maritime experience. Then you get to explore all that Nova Scotia has to offer on your drive through the Province, visitings things that catch your interest along the way. The journey is the vacation, not the destination.

  • February 26, 2020

    Clearly, tradition holds that Bar Harbor is the prime location. Historically, ridership was more consistent with the Bar Harbor location. The State is better served by the tourists moving further along the coast, exploring more of Maine than just buzzing along the Pike to Portland. The use of Bar Harbor showcases far more of the Maine that can entice tourists back. The run from Portland tried to create a mini-cruise with gambling, not a tourist jaunt connecting Maine and Atlantic Canada, which have so much in common. Ridership fell and the run was a bust.

  • February 26, 2020
    The CAT ferry would have a lot more people using it out of Portland than Bar Harbor due to the majority of the people using it are from out of state. It is closer to the NH border and the airport is a short taxi ride to the ferry. If they were smart they would have the ferry run from Portland to Halifax, since Yarmouth, NS, is not close to anything ... it is close to a 3 hour drive to Halifax. I guess they just want to have the ferry run between two remote places and hope that it works.