Campobello Island residents feel forgotten as ferry remains out of service

Residents of Campobello Island are feeling neglected since the privately run ferry — one of two ways off the island — did not return to service this summer.

Now the only way to leave the island in the Bay of Fundy is by bridge to Maine.

"We hear it might be a week, we hear it might be a month," said Kenny Daye, co-owner of Family Fisheries Restaurant on Campobello Island, about the ferry's return.

"We hear it might be never."  

Taking toll on tourism

While a refit is underway on the ferry that used to take people from Campobello to Deer Island, the 800-some residents of the island feel cut off and forgotten.

Some residents say the lack of a ferry has severely hurt summer tourism.

"It's just really obvious, looking around the island, that there's less traffic," Daye said. "Part of their itinerary is to do a bit of island hopping."

He said it's common for tourists from the United States to want to come to Campobello, then take the ferry to Deer Island, where there is a year-round ferry to the mainland. 

"They don't find out until they're at the border," he said.

He said it's the same situation for Canadians looking to visit the island but find out at the ferry crossing on Deer Island that there's no way forward.

Hurting business

Daye said crossing into the United States is time-consuming and costs money because of the paperwork required.

The ferry's private ownership complicates the situation, the business owner said.  

"It's a tough one. It's real easy to say, 'We need a ferry.' But I know there's a price tag to everything, right?"

"I'm quite sure those folks didn't decide to say, 'to hell with Campobello.' They're a good family."

At this point, however, the provincial government should become involved with finding a solution, he said. The Deer Island ferry, which runs to the mainland, now runs 365 days a year. 

According to Tourism Minister John Ames, the safety of the travelling public is the top priority for the government.

Approached company

Ames said his department has reached out to the owners of East Coast Ferries in order to get a better understanding of the scope of the challenges, "and if the department might play a role in its expedited return to service."  

"In the meantime, it's our understanding that the operator will be up and running in a matter of weeks," he wrote in an emailed statement Tuesday.

The ferry company did not respond to calls from CBC News.

As for Daye, while they're inconvenient for his lifestyle, he said he understands the delays.

"It's the life we chose, so we can't really complain about it too much," he said. "It's just not something we're used to."