Yarmouth braces for the worst as more delays announced for ferry service

When the initial delay to the start of ferry service between Yarmouth and Bar Harbor, Maine, was announced earlier this month, Pam Mood said she didn't feel a sense of panic in the community. She thinks that could be getting ready to change.

On Friday, which is the day the ferry service was originally scheduled to begin for the year, Bay Ferries announced it was cancelling reservations for the service up to and including July 18.

"The impact of this is huge," said Mood. "It's huge. We have the fishery and we have tourism. And when one of your major industries is not in working condition as it should be, then you have a lot to deal with."

Faced with construction work at the terminal site in Bar Harbor that has yet to be complete and no indication of when they will receive approval to operate from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Bay Ferries officials cannot say when — or even if — the season will begin this year.

"It is anticipated that the earliest date on which any service could commence is in the mid-summer," the company said in a news release.

"Bay Ferries Limited deeply regrets any inconvenience caused to our customers and impacts on our partners and the hospitality industry."

The provincial government recently contracted David Wilkins, the former U.S. ambassador to Canada, to lobby on behalf of the service to try to speed up the process.

Mood said the situation is "tremendously difficult on tourism operators," including accommodations, restaurants and shops, all of whom are in the process of trying to figure out staffing for the summer. While the town and surrounding area has experienced great strides since service was restored six years ago, the complete loss of a season would still be devastating, said Mood.

Business owners are now beginning to wonder how they might have to deal with the situation.

Sharon Lloyd and her husband have operated the Yarmouth Wool Shoppe for almost 50 years. While they were able to weather the years when the service was not operating after the former NDP government cancelled a subsidy to Bay Ferries, Lloyd said having the ferry in place makes a big difference.

"We managed to survive without it, but I think not as many people come to Yarmouth without it," she said.

A highway to America

Lloyd sees the ferry as a highway between Nova Scotia and the United States.

"It's a big deal to be able to get Americans coming in," she said. "It's another country, it's a connection."

Like other business people CBC News spoke with on Friday, Lloyd said she believes Bay Ferries and the province are doing everything they can to get the service operating. In the meantime, though, she has worries about the delay.

"Even now, I'm trying to figure out what to order from Ireland and I'm being very careful in every single thing I order," she said.

Dave Darby, director at the Firefighers' Museum of Nova Scotia, said their visitor numbers — particularly from America — take a noticeable upturn following the July 4 holiday. He said the longer the delay, the more difficult things become.

"I guess we just have to wait and see," he said. "Obviously, it's not going to help us."

As many people in the community do, Darby believes the ferry helps more than just the Yarmouth region.

"People come across, they do what they do in Yarmouth and then they move on," he said. "It's very important for us economically and also for other areas of the province."

Dan Earle, a member of the Yarmouth Waterfront Gallery, which is located a block away from the ferry terminal, said they have the same experience.

"The people that we see are stopping for a day on the way out or on the way back and they're going off to visit the rest of Nova Scotia."

Planning for anything

In the meantime, Mood said the community would focus on what they can control.

"As we wait for this service to get back up and running, we're not going to take our foot off the pedal," she said.

A meeting is planned next week with various people involved in the industry and municipal officials and Mood said the discussion will be about what other opportunities there are to get tourists to the area, as well as potentially promote a stay-local campaign.

Angie Greene, president of the Yarmouth and Area Chamber of Commerce, said it's frustrating to have yet another season interrupted.

"We were looking forward to showing the impact in the area and how it is a vibrant part of our summer season, but unfortunately the delay hasn't allowed us to do that."

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