Icebreaker to clear path as MV Northumberland expected to arrive in next few days
Former MV Fanafjord began its voyage from Norway to Canada on Dec. 23.
The path will be cleared this weekend for the much-anticipated arrival of a new permanent vessel for the ferry run between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.
The Canadian Coast Guard sent a notice that it will be conducting ice-breaking operations Sunday in the Pictou, N.S., area in anticipation of the arrival of MV Northumberland, formerly MV Fanafjord.
A marine-vessel tracking website showed Northumberland's position to be just off the north coast of Cape Breton island as of Saturday afternoon.
Northumberland Ferries Limited, the company that operates the service, said the ship will remain in Pictou over the winter. Transport Canada, which owns the vessel, is expected to release more details this week.
The coast guard's public safety notice advised anyone in and around Pictou Harbour to be cautious while the ice-breaking vessel CCGS Jean Goodwill works to clear the path for the incoming ship.
"Depending on various conditions, the ice can be pushed instead of broken and ice can crack or break far away from the location where the icebreaker is working. This can cause risks for the safety of people and property," the notice reads.
Service has been inconsistent
MV Northumberland was acquired by Transport Canada on Dec. 12. It began its voyage from Norway to Canada on Dec. 23. The federal government paid about $40 million for the vessel.
The service across the Northumberland Strait has been inconsistent since the MV Holiday Island was scrapped after a fire in 2022.
Transport Canada had been using the remaining ship, the MV Confederation. It leased another ferry, the MV Saaremaa, from Quebec, while it found a replacement for the Holiday Island.
But a series of issues with the Confederation, including a collision with the wharf that left it out of service for weeks, continued to disrupt the service throughout the 2024 sailing season.
Transport Canada has said a replacement vessel for the MV Holiday Island was contracted to the Davie shipyard in Quebec in 2019. That ship is still in the design phase, despite documents that show the Holiday Island II was initially expected to arrive in P.E.I. five years after the contract was awarded.
The ferry service between P.E.I. and Nova Scotia will resume for the season in May. Northumberland Ferries generally uses one ferry in the shoulder seasons and two during peak months.