Isolated towns fear new ferry contract will be the same old boat

People in seven southern Newfoundland communities will soon get some answers about their ferry service, but they may not be what they want to hear.

With the vessels currently serving the isolated towns at least 40 years old, residents had hoped to get newer, more modern ones — but a recent tender call is quashing those hopes.

"People I've talked to, they're not happy," Ray Vautier of La Poile told CBC's Newfoundland Morning.

"I mean this has been going on and on for years, and the ferries are getting old, and people don't feel safe on them anymore."

Calling all boats

The province's Department of Transportation and Works put out the latest request for proposals in November, and tenders closed Jan. 10.

The only bidders are companies that currently operate vessels on the south coast runs, to La Poile, Francois, Grey River, Gaultois, McCallum, Rencontre East and South East Bight.

In an emailed statement, a Transportation and Works spokesperson said bids are being reviewed, and tenders will be awarded in the coming weeks.

Vautier said he hasn't been kept informed about the request for proposals, even though he's on the transportation committee for his community.

New contract misses the boat, some say

But Vautier said his bigger concern is being left again with an old ferry.

A previous RFP that was cancelled in 2018 specified that companies bidding would be required to provide vessels that are 30 years old or less.

"They couldn't be more than 30, which would have gotten rid of everything on the south coast, because they go from 45 years to 58, I think," said Vautier.

But Vautier said that requirement is missing from the new RFP and, in a town that relies entirely on a ferry for access to the outside world, he said he's disgusted.

The town of La Poile had 87 residents when the last census was taken in 2016.

"Look at other parts of the island, and they got brand new ferries, communities of the same size," said Vautier.

"And we got ferries that are 40 and 50 years old, so I don't think we're ever going to see any changes."

Between a rock and hard place

According to the department's statement, the provincial government didn't have a lot of options for the south coast ferry service.

Ferry operators had told government it would take 18 months to two years to come up with vessels for the south coast run that would comply with the original RFP.

Now, with the current contract for south coast ferries ending March 31, the spokesperson said it was time for the provincial government to do something to ensure there is no disruption in service.

A Transportation department spokesperson told CBC by email that the government wants to find someone to run the service for a two-year period, with one-year extensions, if necessary.

Where old boats go

However, based on reports on the government website, it looks like only the current operators have bid on the south coast intraprovincial ferry service, and people in the area are assuming they're stuck with the older vessels yet again.

Vautier said he knows the isolated towns are losing people all the time, either as residents die or through outmigration, but he still feels they ought to be a priority for government.

"We're pretty low on the list. We know that the population is going down, but we need a ferry while we're there," he said.

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