Outdoor Nova Scotia: "The Best Way to be Informed."

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by Carol Matthews

December 7th, 1998 Shelburne, N.S. - May 1999 is the target date for the new single hull, high-speed ferry between Shelburne, Nova Scotia and Gloucester, Massachusetts, said Shelburne’s Mayor, P.G.Comeau.

I’ve just returned this weekend from meetings concerning the ferry in
Gloucester, and things are going very well, said Mayor Comeau.  The mayor is the sole Canadian in a group which includes Massachusetts Senator Bruce Tarr, House Representative Anthony Verga, Mayor Bruce Tobey of Gloucester and a consortium of business people in the shipping industry.

The ship has not yet been purchased, but the proposed vessel will run a
year round schedule, carrying passengers, vehicles and commercial traffic. The run between Shelburne and Gloucester should take approximately 8 hours, said the Mayor.

Attilio Paglia, in charge of special projects in Senator Tarr’s office,
said the Senator is 100% behind the proposed ferry. The potential for
hotels, the food industry, cargo shipping, it would build a good economic
base for both areas, said Mr. Paglia.

He said May is an optimistic date for the start of the ferry run. However
Mr. Paglia said new ship technology that allows on-board hydraulic ramps to extend up to 150 feet cuts down on the amount of on-shore infrastructure
required.

Mr. Paglia said it is very realistic that the ferry will start this summer.
A huge amount of people are just waiting for it (the ferry) to happen, and
when it does, it will be very, very popular, he said.

He pointed out that a private consortium is solely responsible for putting
together a company and group of investors for the project.  Senator Tarr’s
office will assist when the ferry project meets requirements for funding
from State programs that promote tourism and community development.

Meanwhile Canadian Customs Border Services will be visiting Mayor Comeau and Shelburne on December 8th to look over sights for a terminal building and docking area, said the Mayor.

This will be a $10 million development, said the Mayor. The spin-offs for
Shelburne and area will include expanded services in overnight
accommodations, food services, bus transportation and car rental, and
travel agencies, he said.

It will be an open door to attract business, said the Mayor. The
business will be good for all of Nova Scotia.

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