Grand Manan pitches plebiscite on free ferry

Grand Manan residents will have the chance to vote in a plebiscite on the future of ferry fares in the upcoming municipal election.

The Village of Grand Manan and the provincial government have agreed on the wording of a question that could hold the fate of a Progressive Conservative election promise to remove the fares from the Grand Manan ferry.

Grand Manan Mayor Dennis Greene said the wording of the question was difficult because it is a local community voting on an issue that is a provincial jurisdiction.

Greene said the council is not happy with the precise wording of the question, but he said it is important that village residents get a chance to vote on the ferry fare question.

"It is going to be close, I would think, because there is a lot of people that feel with a free ferry — or no tolls — that there will be a lot more traffic coming and going and it will restrict their sailing," he said.

The Grand Manan mayor said people in the past have supported keeping the ferry fares.

But Premier David Alward promised in the election campaign that the fares would be removed. During the campaign, the Tories estimated it would cost $1.7 million to remove the fares from the Grand Manan ferry.

A plebiscite must receive 60 per cent support to be considered binding.

Greene said in a time of fiscal restraint this could allow the cash-strapped provincial government a chance to back away from a costly promise.

"It would provide an out for the province," he said.

The provincial government has a $471-million deficit.

Greene said the village council will stay officially neutral during the plebiscite and will only provide information to the public.

The new Grand Manan Adventure has faced many problems since it arrived in New Brunswick last summer.

It has been taken out of service several times because of problems, such as with the vessel's bow thrusters.