Gagetown Ferry coming back after more than 4 years out of service
Elizabeth Fraser | CBC News | Posted: June 15, 2020 4:24 PM | Last Updated: June 15, 2020
The ferry will start running again on July 1 into the fall, 7 days a week
The Gagetown Ferry will return to service after being out of commission for more than four years, the New Brunswick government announced Monday.
The ferry will return on July 1 and run seven days a week until fall.
"In such a troubling year with COVID and all the things happening, we are very pleased to have a government that listens to the people of rural New Brunswick," said Wilf Hiscock, who has led the Save the Gagetown-Jemseg Ferry. committee.
"We worked hard to get our ferry back."
He said the return of the ferry is a huge relief for people living in the area.
Many residents rely on the ferry for medical appointments and farming. Hiscock, a retired police officer, said many first responders also rely on the ferry to assist people in emergencies.
Hiscock, owner of Charlotte's Family Orchard in Gagetown, said the ferry is a particular relief for businesses in the area, which have seen a dip in tourism traffic since the ferry closed.
"That ferry actually got people off the four-lane highway to drive a beautiful route to get to Gagetown."
Ferry removed in 2016
Residents learned in February 2016 that the ferry would not return to service. The former Liberal government of Brian Gallant cited maintenance and repair costs for the decision.
Shawn Graham's Liberal government shut down the Hampstead Ferry in 2009 and announced it would also close the Gagetown Ferry. After a public backlash, the province decided to reduce crossings instead.
David Alward's Progressive Conservatives ran the ferry around the clock.
The service announced Monday is seasonal, but Hiscock described it as "a huge relief off your shoulders."
If a new government takes over and decides to shut the ferry down again, he said, residents will be ready with signs to push back.
"I'm not worried because if that happens then we will certainly do whatever we can to get the ferry back, and it won't be pleasant for them. …They'll have to make an awful good case to take it away again."
Even though his party scrapped the ferry in 2016, Liberal Leader Kevin Vickers said he's happy to see it return. Vickers said he is aware of the people in the area who "very much wanted this."
"I know it was a harder decision back in the day for the party to bring that about," Vickers said. "But I know it was the provincial books that were in sight."
He's hopeful this could be the start of a trend where the province helps municipalities with "urgent projects" including water and sewage.
Fighting for a ferry
People living along Route 102 in Gagetown, Queenstown and Hampstead have been fighting to bring back the Gagetown Ferry since the Liberals abandoned the local landmark and refused to reconsider.
"Our government committed to returning ferry service to the people of Gagetown, and today we fulfil that commitment," said Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Bill Oliver.
"Having this ferry service back in the community will be a huge benefit for the tourism and agricultural sectors in the region."
Without the ferry, it's a near 70-kilometre round-trip detour for residents, who cross the river for everything from medical appointments to church services. In summer, the ferry also helps farmers and local restaurants, bed and breakfasts and other tourism-reliant businesses.
The province said there are currently six crossings on the St. John and Kennebecasis rivers serving more than 3.5 million passengers each year.