Nova Scotia

Bluenose II crew meets N.S. transportation minister

Transportation Minister Geoff MacLellan is in Lunenburg Tuesday morning for a meet and greet with the newly hired crew of the Bluenose II.

Geoff MacLellan says schooner could be sailing and open to tourists this summer

Transportation Minister Geoff MacLellan meets the new crew of the Bluenose II. (Shaina Luck / CBC)

Transportation Minister Geoff MacLellan is in Lunenburg Tuesday morning for a meet and greet with the newly hired crew of the Bluenose II. 

Geoff MacLellan steps up to the helm on the Bluenose II. (Shaina Luck / CBC)

On Friday, the vessel left the Lunenburg docks for a brief sea trial so its steering system and manoeuvrability could be tested.

MacLellan met with the 18-member crew Tuesday, which he said is 90 per cent Nova Scotian. They hail from areas of the province such as Kentville and Dartmouth. Some are also from Ontario.

The schooner has undergone a lengthy rebuild. MacLellan has announced it could be sailing as early as this summer, four years behind the original schedule.

The cost of the project is around $20 million, with another $5 million in dispute.