Northumberland Ferries adds sailings to MV Confederation schedule

After consultations with its commercial customers, Northumberland Ferries has decided to sail its only operational ferry more oftenand start earlier on weekdays while the MV Holiday Island is under repair.

Company adds midnight departure

Don Cormier, Northumberland's vice-president of operations and safety management, explained that the the MV Confederation will make an additional trip from Wood Islands, P.E.I., at midnight and return from Caribou, N.S., at 3:30 a.m.

As well, the ferry will leave at 5 a.m. as opposed to its current departure time of 6:30 a.m. on weekdays.

Both changes begin Sunday at midnight, said Cormier. This means the ferry will make six round trips on weekdays and five round trips on weekends.

Changes help commercial customers

"We know our commercial companies are expected to patronize that sailing in order to get aggregate materials or to deliver forestry products, exports from P.E.I. and to continue the normal commerce that they have," said Cormier.

"I expect there will be come car traffic, but I wouldn't expect there will be a lot of people travelling at midnight or at 3:30 a.m."

Originally, the MV Holiday Island was expected to be back in service on June 17. But, prior to that date, the company announced it would be repaired as expectedbecause additional steel work was needed.

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