Nova Star ferry must succeed this year, says Geoff MacLellan

Thisseason will be make or break for the operators of the Nova Star ferry, theprovincial transportation minister says.

The company running the ferry, Nova Star Cruises, expects to exceed its goal of 80,000 passengers this summer.

Transportation Minister Geoff MacLellan says while that forecast is encouraging, he has already met with three companies interested in taking over the service.

In late April, MacLellan said the government was considering other operators for the 2016 season.

On Thursday, he said the decision about who would be operating the ferry in 2016 would need to be made in July or August. MacLellan says Nova Star Cruisesis still the frontrunner.

"This is theirs to lose," he said.

MacLellan says the province will need to evaluate the ferry's books and look at what the province has contributed.

"We've got to know where the investments made by the people of Nova Scotia are and what that's going to mean for the long-term sustainability of the Yarmouth ferry," he said.

MacLellan won't say what companies he has met with, but did say all three have Nova Scotia connections.

The Nova Scotia government is providing $13 million in funding this year to subsidize the ferry. It spent $28.5 million last season.