Fitting Name for New Ferry

The name is a fitting nod to the water that she will travel, and to her sister ship.

The Department of Transportation and Public Works has chosen the name Petit Princess for the new car ferry that will sail Petit Passage between Digby Neck and Long Island, Digby Co. Her sister ship in New Brunswick is also regally named -- the Deer Island Princess II.

Grade 7 student Felicia Frost proposed Petit Princess in a naming contest for the new $4-million ferry. Transportation and Public Works Minister Ron Russell selected her entry from 66 names submitted by students at Islands Consolidated School in Freeport.

"Our goal was to find the best name for the new ferry with the help of students who will sail aboard her for years to come," said Mr Russell. "With so many well thought-out names submitted, students clearly benefitted from their research in this contest."

Mr. Russell and Felicia revealed the name at a ceremony at the Halifax Shipyard today, Nov. 18. The minister presented Felicia with $500 for winning the contest. Transportation and Public Works also gave Islands Consolidated School $1,000 to fund a school project.

"The contest made students think about the uniqueness of where they live, and the importance of the ferry system as a transportation link to the mainland," said Loretta Crocker, principal of Islands Consolidated School. "The students researched the history of the islands and we all learned something new."

The ferry is being built at the Halifax Shipyard and will be commissioned early in 2004. The Petit Princess is a 42-metre vessel with a capacity of 24 cars, 95 passengers and four crew. It is wheelchair accessible and is replacing the Joshua Slocum, which was built in 1974.

In 1974, the Slocum carried 38,000 vehicles a year; that number has now skyrocketed to 96,000 a year, mainly as a result of increased tourism.