Community Owned Ferry Perhaps

NS: Movement afoot to get ferry terminal into the hands of the community
By Tina Comeau, Transcontinental Media

Source: The Vanguard, Mar. 02/10

[YARMOUTH, NS] – By accepting a recommendation to have the Yarmouth Area Industrial Commission work towards obtaining ownership of the ferry terminal on Water Street, municipal units in this area are hoping that divestiture of the terminal from Transport Canada will remove a major hurdle to finding a new ferry service for next year.

The ferry terminal is owned by the federal government, which has a lease with Bay Ferries. This adds a level of complexity to ensuring the long-term existence of ferry service in Yarmouth.

Given that it could take a year or longer to secure ferry service for the summer of 2011, there is no time to waste. That was the message coming out of the town’s committee of the whole meeting last week.

A motion to have the industrial commission obtain ownership of the terminal will come before town council at its next meeting.

Already the municipalities of Clare, Argyle and Yarmouth have agreed to this course of action.