Some N.S.-P.E.I. crossings resume after technical issues with MV Confederation
MV Northumberland was able to take on cars starting with 1:30 p.m. trip from Caribou
The ferry service between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia was disrupted again on Monday, with all Northumberland Ferries runs cancelled in the morning and only one boat running in the afternoon and evening.
The company cancelled the 7 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. crossings from both Wood Islands, P.E.I., and Caribou, N.S. The 1:30 p.m. sailing from Wood Islands also did not operate, but service began from Caribou shortly after that time.
In a notice posted to social media Monday morning, the company cited "ongoing technical issues aboard MV Confederation."
A mid-afternoon update said the 1:30 p.m. sailing from Caribou was underway with MV Northumberland, adding that the same ship would handle the 3:15 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. crossings from Wood Islands as well as the 5 p.m. sailing from Caribou.
The company later confimed there would be no Confederation departures for the rest of the day.
This follows service disruptions last week, when multiple sailings were cancelled due to what the company called "unusually low tides" in the Northumberland Strait.
At this time of year, NFL typically operates 16 one-way crossings a day with both MV Confederation and MV Northumberland in service.
This is the first season the latter vessel — previously dubbed MV Fanafjord — is on the water.
The federal government purchased the vehicle and passenger ferry from its Norwegian owner for $43 million in 2023 as a replacement for the Holiday Island, which had to be scrapped after a fire in the summer of 2022.
The only other option for crossing between Prince Edward Island and the mainland by vehicle is the Confederation Bridge, which connects western P.E.I. and New Brunswick.
Many inconvenienced by cancellations
Drivers and foot passengers arriving for early sailings had to change their plans due to the cancellations. Some stuck around in the ferry compound at Wood Islands, including Dina Hakim, who had been visiting P.E.I. from Nova Scotia with her dog for the weekend.
"We're heading home because I've got to work this week," Hakim told a CBC News reporter early Monday afternoon. "I got here at about seven o'clock, and I was hoping to get on the seven o'clock boat, but I'm still sitting here."
She said she was the last person who showed up for the planned 7 a.m. sailing who chose not to leave when it was cancelled.
"There was probably about eight or 10 trucks, big tractor trailers, they all left… and the parking lot's looking pretty empty now."
Another driver inconvenienced was Montreal resident Daniel Doroftei, who said having to drive the 110 kilometres back across P.E.I. to the Confederation Bridge to travel to Nova Scotia would shave time off his holiday.
"I'm on a shortcut with this to get back to Halifax, and then there to Montreal — so I'm going to lose one day off my vacation to get back."
With files from Sheehan Desjardins