Petit Princess Christened

With the crack of a wine bottle, the newest addition to Nova Scotia's ferry fleet was officially christened today, June 23, at East Ferry in Digby County.

Ron Russell, Minister of Transportation and Public Works, smashed a bottle of Nova Scotia wine across the hull of the Petit Princess, the new car ferry that sails Petit Passage between Digby Neck and Long Island, as part of the ceremony.

"This event is being held to recognize the importance of the Petit Princess to the residents of this area," said Mr. Russell. "Not only will the ferry carry goods and people safely but it will also encourage economic growth through tourism in this beautiful part of the province."

The $4-million ferry was built at the Halifax Shipyard and made its maiden voyage across Petit Passage in March of 2004. The Petit Princess is 42 metres long with a capacity of 24 cars, 95 passengers and four crew.

As part of a naming contest at Islands Consolidated School, the ferry was named Petit Princess after the water it crosses, Petit Passage. The name was proposed by Felicia Frost, a Grade 7 student.

The Petit Princess replaces the 29.1-metre Joshua Slocum, built in 1974. The province sold the Slocum but retained the name for future generations as a way to celebrate the feats of Nova Scotian Joshua Slocum, the first person to navigate solo around the world. The Slocum ferry was renamed The Lost Joshua prior to sale.