New Brunswick’s transportation minister says his government remains committed to reviving the Gagetown ferry service.
But Bill Oliver stopped short of saying when the link between the communities of Gagetown and Jemseg would be restored.
The previous Liberal government opted not to replace the ferry in 2016, which they said saved about $5 million.
Oliver said they are looking at all available options to bring a boat back to the community but noted they are limited in some respects.
“We need eight ferries in the system that we are operating at the present time and that’s exactly what we have,” said Oliver.
The province operates ferries in six areas along the Saint John and Kennebecasis river systems, including Belleisle Bay, Evandale, Gondola Point, Kennebecasis Island, Summerville-Millidgeville and Westfield.
Oliver said there is a boat currently being retrofitted in Nova Scotia but it may be needed elsewhere in the river system.
“We’re renting one boat now, it’s not very cost-effective so we have to look at what we’re doing there,” he said. “We have to take another ferry out of the system to be retrofitted, and it’s one of the bigger boats at Gondola Point.”
Oliver said his government recognizes the decision to remove the ferry has been quite an economic hinderance to the community.
“It’s a tourist attraction for the whole Saint John River system, it’s a necessity for the farmers in the area, for the business community in the Gagetown area,” he said.
The minister said it is too early to speak to what the costs of adding a new ferry to the river system would be.
Oliver said the previous ferry service operated year-round but the community has said they would be comfortable with a seasonal service.
“What we are looking at is sometime in May we’d be putting it on and it would run into their Christmas in the Village that they have each fall.”
