News release

Request for Proposals Issued for Yarmouth Ferry Study

Public Works

The Province has issued a request for proposals to conduct a broad economic impact study on the ferry service between Nova Scotia and Maine.

“We need to know that this service is providing good value to Nova Scotian taxpayers,” said Public Works Minister Kim Masland. “We collected input from municipalities, chambers of commerce, the tourism industry and so many others to make sure we get the level of detail we need. A study of this depth has not been done before, and it is essential to have if we are going to make an informed decision over the long term.”

The study will collect data over two sailing seasons to help account for potential fluctuations in passenger numbers. The ferry service resumed last year after not operating in 2020 or 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A final report is expected in late 2024. The current contract for the Yarmouth ferry ends after the 2025 sailing season.

Quick Facts:

  • the ferry service received $17.9 million from the Province to support the 2022 sailing season
  • the ferry transported 36,151 passengers and 14,972 vehicles in 2022
  • the ferry made 113 round trips last year, and 12 round trips were cancelled because of weather

Additional Resources:

Request for proposals documents: https://procurement-portal.novascotia.ca/tenders/Doc1521692503

Department of Public Works on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NS_PublicWorks

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