Ferries Eligible for Millions in Canadian Funding

Ferry operators across Canada applaud new changes made by the federal government that will allow infrastructure projects related to ferries to be eligible for funding under the New Building Canada Fund, according to the Canadian Ferry Operators Association (CFOA).

The original eligibility criteria for the fund, established in 2014, excluded most projects related to ferries, meaning very few operators have been able to apply for infrastructure projects.

The CFOA and provincial governments have worked together urging Transport Minister Marc Garneau and Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi to revise the criteria to include ferries and ferry operators. Following discussions at a meeting of federal and provincial ministers of transport in January 2016, Minister Sohi recently advised, in a letter (sent late April), his provincial counterparts that ferries would indeed be eligible to apply for and access the New Building Canada Fund.

In a note to Canadian ferry operators announcing the changes, Minister Sohi provided further detail and confirmed that the New Building Canada Fund will now cover projects such as wharves and associated infrastructure, passenger terminals, access road infrastructures that provides the main vehicular access to the passenger ferry terminal, vessel purchase and/or conversion, and intelligent transportation systems in support of ferry services.

“Minister Sohi and the new government understand the importance of ferries for Canadians,” said Serge Buy, CFOA’s Chief Executive Officer. “Access to the New Building Canada Fund will enable operators to make crucial investments that will benefit passengers and the communities served by ferries.  Furthermore, the investments will help operators ensure safety on their vessels while also making sustainable improvements to their environmental efficiency.”

The criteria changes are effective immediately, and CFOA said it expects that a number of modernization projects will now be able to move forward. With operators located from coast to coast to coast, this will help to create employment throughout the country, benefit businesses that supply goods and services to ferry operators and boost the communities served by ferries, CFOA said.