Nova Scotia company awarded tender to dispose of the MV Holiday Island - Action News
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PEI

Nova Scotia company awarded tender to dispose of the MV Holiday Island

An Antigonish, N.S., company has been awarded the tender for the removal and disposal of MV Holiday Island.

Ferry will be scrapped following fire on board this past summer

The MV Holiday Island will be disposed of by February 2024. This is what the boat looked like in July 2022, after it was towed to the dock in Wood Islands after a fire that caused major damage. (CBC/Tony Davis)

An Antigonish, N.S., company has been awarded the tender for the removal and disposal of the MV Holiday Island.

R.J. MacIsaac Construction received the contract for more than $1.6 million, officials with Public Services and Procurement Canada told CBC News.

The federal government received three other bids for the ferry's demolition, the prices of which are confidential, said officials.

The MV Holiday Island has been sitting at the Northumberland Ferries Ltd. terminal in Wood Islands, P.E.I., since July.

It wastowed there following a fire that broke out in its engine room during a crossing between Nova Scotiaand Prince Edward Island on July 22,forcing 200 people on board to be evacuated from the ferry. No injuries were reported.

Passengers are seen wearing life-jackets after being evacuated from the MV Holiday Island.
Two hundred people were evacuated from the boat after a fire broke out in the engine room on July 22, 2022. (Submitted by Brian Rogers)

The fire, the cause of which is still under investigation, caused extensive damage to the boat.

The government tender requires transferring the vessel to an approved site, and dismantling and disposing or recycling it in an efficient and environmentally-responsible manner.

The ferry will need to be removed from its berth in Wood Islands by December, officials said, and the company has until Feb. 28, 2024, to complete the work.

The Holiday Island was launched in 1970 and was due to be replaced in 2027. (Brian Higgins/CBC)

Officials from R.J. MacIsaac Construction told CBC News they are looking forward to managing the project in a responsible way, with respect for the history of the vessel and its connection to the Maritimes.

Transport Canada and Northumberland Ferries are working to secure a replacement ferry for next summer, Mark Wilson, senior vice-president at Northumberland Ferries, told CBC News in October.

Corrections

  • A previous version of this story said the contract was for $1.6 billion. In fact, its value is $1.6 million.
    Nov 23, 2022 3:30 PM AT

With files from Angela Walker