Campobello ferry service extended to January

The province of New Brunswick has extended the Campobello ferry run to Jan. 10, meaning residents can continue accessing mainland New Brunswick without having to go through Maine.

In an email, Department of Transportation and Infrastructure communications director Mlanie Sivretsaid the extension is meant to assuage residents' COVID-19 concerns, and accommodate holiday travel.

"The department had previously done interviews to indicate that the ferry was being extended until Dec. 31 because of the pandemic, but recognizing that this date falls into the holiday season, the decision was made to extend the date to Jan. 10," she said.

The ferry, privately owned and operated by East Coast Ferries Ltd., typicallyruns from late June to September. It connectsCampobello Island to Deer Island, where people cantake a year-round ferry to mainland New Brunswick.

In September the province announced it would be extending service until Dec. 1.

Without ferry service, Campobello Island located in the Bay of Fundy off the province's southwest coast is only accessible by crossing a bridge from Maine.

Residents of Campobello have been exempt from self isolating if they travelthrough Maine and into St. Stephen or Milltownwithout stopping, or only stopping for gas or necessities.

Cost to province

Sivret said it'stoo soon to say how much the department of transportation will spend in total on keeping the ferry operational past September, but said so far the province spent about $30,000 in October and the same amount in November.

"The people using the ferry will continue to pay the established fares and the department will pay the additional cost for the operator to maintain the service," she said in an emailed statement.

Sivret said the service is offered four days a week, depending on the weather. East Coast Ferries is responsible for communicating schedule changes, she said.

A little more than 800 people live on the island.Community members formed a committee in 2018 to lobby for year-round ferry service, saying government officials do not understand the urgent the need for the ferry.