However, with the greatest reluctance I somewhat disagree. This Ferry Service has never ever had a decent shot of success. It was handled incredibly poorly by the NDP, then the Liberals and now the Conservatives. It had to be promoted effectively, and in this respect Bay Ferries has been dismal.
Ultimately, it is part of the 'highway infrastructure', it serves or more accurately should serve as the Gateway to Nova Scotia for South West Nova.
Never in anybody's wildest dreams was there any thought of a 'trade war' and animosity with America. Canadians rightly have resisted travel to America thanks to the new President. And Americans are worried about their reception here thanks to the new President. This current political dynamic places the ferry business model in jeopardy for the short term but not for the long term hopefully .
This service has to be re-imagined, re- budgeted and refocused. It is a complicated topic and deserves much further analysis. Ultimately the service deserves a creditable 'champion'. Someone or some organization who can make a compelling case to increasingly skeptical Nova Scotian taxpayers. This commentary however is a dandy start to the discussion....
Thanks, Stewart. I don’t actually read your comment as disagreement—I think we’re saying much the same thing. You’ve described, quite rightly, how this ferry service was mismanaged through successive governments and poorly promoted by Bay Ferries. We fully agree it’s never had a fair shot. But in fairness, it's a hard sell at the household level.
So let's frame up what happens now.
You call for it to be reimagined, re-budgeted, and refocused. That sounds a lot like THE BEE’s core message: We don't have to stick with our mistakes just because they cost a lot of money and we spent a long time making them. We are rich in options.
At its heart, the Yarmouth ferry isn’t just a transportation problem—it’s a persuasion problem. And the power of persuasion has its practical limits. You can pave the roads, polish the terminals, and subsidize the service, but getting a modern household of kids in the car, or more likely a well-pensioned American retiree couple—to choose a long summer road trip to Nova Scotia is a tough sell. And ultimately for a touristic experience like this, satisfied return customers are the champions, advocates, and best salespeople. And that's not happening at the scale required. The trip competes with many pretty alluring options.
And as you said, it needs a credible champion. But time is ticking. The current contract expires next summer. If a reimagined ferry is truly part of the next plan, this is exactly when that plan—and its champion—need to step forward. Not later.
It's fair not to aim to sink the ferry. But it's an easy target. We should, now, open up the conversation in a way that allows other better options to be floated.
The choice isn’t between cutting the ferry or keeping it as is. That’s an unsustainable plan. The real choice is whether Nova Scotia wants to invest in rural Nova Scotia or not. I think it must. And I think it’s the best place for investment in Nova Scotia with the biggest possible returns.
Thanks again for reading and for sharpening the conversation.
Excellent and very useful am sending it around... thx
This is an exceptionally perceptive analysis.
No surprise there.
The Bee's commentaries are extraordinarily good.
However, with the greatest reluctance I somewhat disagree. This Ferry Service has never ever had a decent shot of success. It was handled incredibly poorly by the NDP, then the Liberals and now the Conservatives. It had to be promoted effectively, and in this respect Bay Ferries has been dismal.
Ultimately, it is part of the 'highway infrastructure', it serves or more accurately should serve as the Gateway to Nova Scotia for South West Nova.
Never in anybody's wildest dreams was there any thought of a 'trade war' and animosity with America. Canadians rightly have resisted travel to America thanks to the new President. And Americans are worried about their reception here thanks to the new President. This current political dynamic places the ferry business model in jeopardy for the short term but not for the long term hopefully .
This service has to be re-imagined, re- budgeted and refocused. It is a complicated topic and deserves much further analysis. Ultimately the service deserves a creditable 'champion'. Someone or some organization who can make a compelling case to increasingly skeptical Nova Scotian taxpayers. This commentary however is a dandy start to the discussion....
Thanks, Stewart. I don’t actually read your comment as disagreement—I think we’re saying much the same thing. You’ve described, quite rightly, how this ferry service was mismanaged through successive governments and poorly promoted by Bay Ferries. We fully agree it’s never had a fair shot. But in fairness, it's a hard sell at the household level.
So let's frame up what happens now.
You call for it to be reimagined, re-budgeted, and refocused. That sounds a lot like THE BEE’s core message: We don't have to stick with our mistakes just because they cost a lot of money and we spent a long time making them. We are rich in options.
At its heart, the Yarmouth ferry isn’t just a transportation problem—it’s a persuasion problem. And the power of persuasion has its practical limits. You can pave the roads, polish the terminals, and subsidize the service, but getting a modern household of kids in the car, or more likely a well-pensioned American retiree couple—to choose a long summer road trip to Nova Scotia is a tough sell. And ultimately for a touristic experience like this, satisfied return customers are the champions, advocates, and best salespeople. And that's not happening at the scale required. The trip competes with many pretty alluring options.
And as you said, it needs a credible champion. But time is ticking. The current contract expires next summer. If a reimagined ferry is truly part of the next plan, this is exactly when that plan—and its champion—need to step forward. Not later.
It's fair not to aim to sink the ferry. But it's an easy target. We should, now, open up the conversation in a way that allows other better options to be floated.
The choice isn’t between cutting the ferry or keeping it as is. That’s an unsustainable plan. The real choice is whether Nova Scotia wants to invest in rural Nova Scotia or not. I think it must. And I think it’s the best place for investment in Nova Scotia with the biggest possible returns.
Thanks again for reading and for sharpening the conversation.