Carney slashes Marine Atlantic ferry rates by half for travel between N.L. and mainland

Travelling to the mainland by ferry will be cheaper for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians starting on Friday.

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Monday that he's cutting Marine Atlantic passenger and vehicle fares in half by increasing funding to the ferry service that operates between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. 

Ottawa is also freezing commercial freight rates on that route.

"If we are going to build a stronger, more united economy, and we are doing that, we are going to need to make it more affordable to travel around this country, for people and for businesses," Carney said. "Today's announcement will mean more Canadians can see more of Atlantic Canada."

Marine Atlantic spokesperson Darrell Mercer said Monday's announcement will mean hundreds of dollars in savings for families looking to leave the island. 

"A customer who's traveling through Argentia, a family of four with a regular-sized vehicle, they're going to save between $300 and $400 per crossing. Through Port aux Basques, that's going to be about $100 to $200 for the same family of four," Mercer said.

Marine Atlantic operates four ferries on two different routes. The year-round ferry service operates between Port aux Basques and North Sydney, N.S., with three vessels on its regular fleet: The Blue Puttees, Highlanders, and Leif Ericson. 

The second seasonal route operates between Argentia and North Sydney. It runs up to three times per week from June to September using the service's newest vessel, the Ala'suinu.

Mercer said Marine Atlantic is experiencing a spike in tourism this summer. The ferry service isn't sold out, he said, but capacity is strained. Summer bookings have increased by 9,000 compared to last year.

"The thousands of additional passengers that are coming to Newfoundland this summer for whatever reason — could be the geopolitical situation in the United States, Canada Games ... we're seeing it on our vessels," Mercer said. 

For travellers with bookings past Aug. 1, Mercer said refunds will be issued.

"We've got approximately 110,000 passengers that have bookings in our system, so it's going to take a little bit of time to work through those," Mercer said. "We ask for patience. Those refunds will be forthcoming. It's just going to take a little time."

Passenger cabins are not included in Ottawa's fare reductions for Marine Atlantic vessels. 

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