Ferry service reopening on May 15

The P.E.I. to Nova Scotia ferry service will start operating for truckers only on May 15.

Northumberland Ferries Limited (NFL) had been planning to begin operations as usual at the start of May, ensuring COVID-19 health measures were at the forefront and only permitting essential travel. However, NFL announced on April 17 that the service would be delayed.

According to the media release, it was to be re-opened "no earlier than June 1, 2020".

At the time, Liberal MP Lawrence MacAulay wanted the service – which links Wood Islands, P.E.I., to Caribou, N.S. – re-opened as quickly as possible because of the impact it would have on eastern P.E.I.'s economy.

"It's costing us every day,"

he said at the time.

But now, NFL has moved the re-opening date ahead to Friday, May 15. The announcement was made via a media release from the company on May 13.

The service will only be operating for large commercial trucks and their drivers at first, but NFL hopes to soon allow other essential travellers as per inter-provincial restrictions. It will run six days a week, from Sunday to Friday, and will feature a number of health regulations to ensure both public and employee safety, the release said.

Russell Compton, president of the Eastern P.E.I. Chamber of Commerce, had published a late-April statement on behalf of his organization and his region’s businesses. It urged public health officials and NFL to consider opening the ferry service earlier than June.

“(So) we’re very happy to hear that P.E.I. listened,” he told The Guardian on May 13. “It’s just a big help to the trucking industry and all the businesses down this way.”

MacAulay was also very glad to hear about the decision.

“It has obviously been a challenging time for everyone on P.E.I. – our trucking industry included – so I know this will come as welcome news to a lot of Islanders,” he said in a separate statement released on Wednesday.