St. John’s, N.L. (November 27, 2024) – Jim McKenna, PC Shadow Minister for Transportation and MHA for Fogo Island-Cape Freels, is calling out the Liberal government for its latest mishandling of the provincial ferry system.

McKenna’s comments come in response to the sudden announcement that the MV Legionnaire will be immediately removed from the Fogo Island-Change Islands route and redirected to Bell Island to support the MV Flanders. In turn, the MV Beaumont Hamel will leave the Portugal Cove-Bell Island run once the Legionnaire arrives and take over alongside the MV Astron, which has a capacity of only 18 vehicles.

“This decision leaves Fogo Island-Change Islands with the two smallest ferries to serve two islands—at the worst possible time,” said McKenna.

“Right now, truckloads of fish products are on their way to the processing plant on Fogo Island—the only plant in the province still handling sea cucumber. An entire industry is at risk. On top of that, regular goods need to be transported daily, school sports teams are traveling to competitions, and residents are depending on reliable service for medical appointments.”

McKenna expressed the frustration felt by residents and businesses in both his district and on Bell Island, attributing the crisis to poor decision-making by the Liberal government.

“The minister’s gross mismanagement of the ferry system has created a complete mess,” he said.

McKenna also pointed to a recent media report revealing millions of dollars in obsolete and unused ferry parts stored by the Department of Transportation, including a $300,000 thruster that cannot be used.

“Clearly, the Liberal government lacks the ability to manage the provincial ferry system,” McKenna added. “We continue to see poorly thought-out decisions with no consultation or consideration for ferry users, including small businesses and residents traveling for critical medical appointments. This is completely unacceptable.”