By
Rebecca Gibson |
Canadian ferry operator Marine Atlantic has renewed the lease agreement for Atlantic Vision until November 2017.
Financed by the Canadian government, the CAD$40 million lease agreement agreement will enable the ship to continue providing a service between Newfoundland and Labrador and the rest of Canada. It will also enable Marine Atlantic to improve the service to Port aux Basques, Argentia and North Sydney.
“With this three-year renewal, we will continue our long-term planning initiatives and further evaluate the best options for our future fleet configuration,” said Paul Griffin, Marine Atlantic’s president and CEO. “Having the MV Atlantic Vision available for service over the next three years will ensure we continue strengthening our operations and have the necessary infrastructure available to meet the needs of our customers.”
Marine Atlantic is a federal Crown Corporation that provides the only daily passenger and freight ferry service between Newfoundland and Labrador, and Nova Scotia.
The company operates four vessels – Atlantic Vision, Blue Puttees, Highlanders, and Leif Ericson – which all accommodate commercial and passenger traffic at the same time. The ice-class vessels are also able to sail in icy conditions during the winter months.
This funding is in addition to the five-year, CAD$521 million investment, announced in Budget 2010 to help renew Marine Atlantic’s fleet, shore-based infrastructure and business processes.
“The renewal of the Atlantic Vision lease term is very good news for all the passengers and businesses that use the ferry services between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia,” said Lisa Raitt, the Minister of Transport for Canada. “The government of Canada is investing in Marine Atlantic’s vessels as they play an important role in connecting the communities, businesses and economies of Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.”