Yarmouth ferry service extended into 2026 - Action News
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Nova Scotia

Yarmouth ferry service extended into 2026

The Nova Scotia government has extended the seasonal ferry service between Yarmouth and Bar Harbor, Maine, into the 2026 season, citing the tourism benefits the $21-million service brings to the province.

Consulting firm continuing to study economic impacts of $21M service

Yarmouth ferry service extended for another year

2 days ago
Duration 3:17
The Nova Scotia government will extend the seasonal ferry service between Yarmouth and Maine into 2026. It budgeted $21 million for the service this year. CBCs Mike Gorman has the story.

The Nova Scotia government has extended the seasonal ferry service between Yarmouth and Bar Harbor, Maine, into the 2026 season, citingits tourism benefits.

The province previously had 10-yearagreements in place to run the ferry through 2025. Itbudgeted $21 million for the service this year. The final bill isn't yet known.

"This also gives us the time that we need to start planning for a long-term solution for this service. We know it is high value to Nova Scotians," said Public Works Minister Kim Maslandon Tuesday morning during an event aboard the ferry in Yarmouth, N.S.

For the past year, consulting firm21FSPhas been studying the economic impacts of the ferry. Though it was initially contracted to deliver a report this fall, the province said the firm is continuing to collect and analyze data.

On Tuesday, itreleased a report detailing the findings to date.

"We know our numbers are increasing. We know we need the consistency with the service. We know that Americans are coming here, they're spending lots of money, they're travelling throughout our province," said Masland.

On Thursday, Bay Ferries said the service transported nearly 50,000 passengers and 20,000 vehicles in 2024, which meant a 28 per cent and 30 per cent increase respectively over the previous season.

The passenger numbers are roughly on par with2018, which had the highest recorded number when the ferry travelled to Portland, Maine.

A woman in a black leather jacket standing inside a ferry.
Kim Masland, minister of public works, answered questions on the ferry Tuesday morning. (Paul Poirier/CBC)

The progress report found visitors who took the ferry spent a total of about $20.1 million, which the minister said she found a"shocking number" that "proves the reasons why we needed to do this economic impact study."

Masland said she didn't know of a ferry service in the country or beyond that made a profit, saying most of them are subsidized.

The analysis found the visitors spent an average of eight nightsin Nova Scotia andtravelled throughout the province. About 71 per cent of peoplevisitedparts of southwestern Nova Scotia and about a quarter went as far asCape Breton.

It also found19 per cent of U.S. visitors came to the province by ferry and they are considered "high-value tourists" because of how much they spent and how long they stay.

Calls for long-term commitment

People from the region at Tuesday'sevent said they weren't surprised the research showed the ferry service had good value and they want the province to make along-term commitment.

Yarmouth Mayor Pam Mood called the extension a "great start" but shesaid developers need to know the ferry will be running when they're making investments in the area.

A woman with short grey hair and glasses wearing a blazed and a Bay Ferries lanyard stands on a ferry with people mingling behind her.
Yarmouth Mayor Pam Mood says she's hopeful about the prospect of long-term ferry service. (Paul Poirier/CBC)

Neil MacKenzie, CEO for theYarmouth and Acadian Shores Tourism Association, who said he was"thrilled" with the report's findings, said from bus tours to tourism marketing, plans are made years in advance.

Zach Churchill, the MLA for Yarmouth, said the extension was "victory and vindication" for everyone fighting for the service.

"I have to say it's really satisfying to see people who have been the chief critics of this service change face and actually start supporting this," he said, but he added that a longer commitment remains necessary for businesses that rely on the tourism.

The Cat ferry to Yarmotuh is pictured behind closed off toll booths in Yartmouth, N.S.
The ferry season started May 17 and ran until Oct. 15. The province's 10-year contract for the service was set to expire before the 2026 operating season. (Paul Poirier/CBC)

The finalreport on the ferry's economic impactis now expected next year.

When 21FSP was awarded the contract, it was valued at $180,000.

If the service is to continue after 2026, the province will need to enter into new agreements with the vessel, operator and U.S. terminal.

"Obviously we would like to get locked in to the longer term, a longer-term deal. I think that process will be underway to make that happen," saidMark Wilson, president and CEO of Bay Ferries, which operates the service.

With files from Michael Gorman

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