By Tina Comeau
THE VANGUARD
NovaNewsNow.com
The release of a long-awaited transportation study that examines the transportation needs of southwest Nova Scotia reinforces what many people here already knew – this being that ferry links in both Yarmouth and Digby are of vital importance to the economy of the region.
“Without the ferry system (in both Yarmouth and Digby) the region would be more isolated,” states the study.
And, the study concludes, without ferry service in this end of the province the economic cost would be great over a 10-year period. The study says the net economic impact of no ferry service is estimated to be a loss of $211.3 million. The big hits would be in the areas of commercial trucking for the fisheries and tourism.
Looking at several different types of ferry service options for both the Digby-Saint John run and a Yarmouth-Maine run, the study also concludes that subsidies are needed for services to be viable.
The transportation study, which was originally supposed to be released in late February or early March, was released to federal, provincial and municipal governments, along with stakeholders, on June 29.
In August 2008, the federal government and the governments of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick announced an extension of the Digby-Saint John ferry service until early 2011. An investment of $11.1 million was made by the federal government and $2 million came from each of the provinces. At that time it was stated that the two-year extension would be used by ACOA to undertake an assessment of commercial and transportation alternatives for the region.
The study, which was commissioned by ACOA, was conducted by CPCS Transcom Limited, along with Opus International Consultants.
Since work began on the transportation study, though, the transportation picture in the region was further complicated by the end of the Cat service in Yarmouth. Although the study looks at the overall transportation picture of the region – including roads, the Yarmouth airport, and ports – the bulk of the discussion in the study centres around the ferry services in Yarmouth and Digby.
The study states that Yarmouth-only or Digby-only ferry service options contain negative consequences for the excluded port. And having no ferry service at either port would have a negative impact on three key industries: the fishery, agriculture and tourism.
A Yarmouth ferry service – at least in the form it has existed in past years – is recognized mostly for the movement of people, whereas the Digby service is looked at for the movement of commercial goods. “Without a ferry service between Digby and Saint John, commercial truck traffic would need to drive an average of an extra 570 kilometres,” states the study. “Over 75 per cent of all traffic on this ferry was fishery-related in 2008-09; without ferry service there is concern that product degradation will result in lower prices and that mortality rates for live lobster shipments will increase.”
Ferry service, the study says, particularly the service operating out of Digby is critical to the $600-million commercial fishery.
The consultant who prepared the study notes there are concerns about the age of the Princess of Acadia and its eventual replacement.
But the study notes it is the uncertainty itself over the future of ferry services in the region that is the paramount concern.
“During the consultation process, residents and businesses alike indicated the loss of ferry service would leave the region isolated and would be a major blow to those stakeholders who are leading efforts to attract investment and new residents to locate there,” says the study. “On the other hand, many stakeholders feel that a long term commitment to maintaining ferry service would have a tremendously positive effect on the region.”
