By
Rebecca Gibson |
Owning a ferry operator is not an opportunity that comes around often, so when Mark Wilson completed the management buyout of Northumberland Ferries and Bay Ferries in 2025, he recognised both the responsibility and the potential.
After 23 years in the Royal Canadian Navy, 11 years with BC Ferries and leadership roles at Northumberland Ferries from 2021, becoming president and CEO gave him the chance to shape the future of services that have connected communities for generations.
“Northumberland Ferries has a very long-standing history of providing ferry services on the east coast of Canada and into the eastern seaboard of the United States,” says Wilson. “It is a unique opportunity in terms of truly defining your own destiny, controlling it and shaping it. That doesn’t come lightly. It’s a privilege to be able to do something like that.”
Today, the organisation operates under two brands, supported by four vessels, six terminals and three distinct service contracts. While that creates operational complexity, Wilson believes the scale strengthens the business by allowing teams to share experience, standardise best practice and continually improve service delivery across the network.
One of the company’s biggest recent milestones has been introducing MV Northumberland on the route between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. Purchased from a Norwegian ferry operator, the vessel underwent an extensive upgrade before entering service in Canada.
“The ferry is quite modern,” says Wilson. “Getting it to Canada through the regulations and compliance, training our staff and entering it into service was a major accomplishment.”
The investment has coincided with government efforts to reduce interprovincial trade barriers by cutting fares for commercial passengers, workers and tourists on one Bay Ferries route and one Northumberland Ferries service. Wilson says the impact has been immediate, with passenger numbers increasing by between 30 and 50 per cent.
“We’ve added more crew and training to focus on safety and efficiency while still meeting our schedules,” he explains. “Kudos to the government for the net impact this has had on the economies around those services and how many more people are using them.”
MV Northumberland was purchased from a Norwegian ferry operator and renovated extensively before beginning service on the Northumberland Strait between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia (Photo: Northumberland Ferries)
Alongside expanding capacity, the company is enhancing the onboard experience. The refurbishment of MV Northumberland included modernising passenger cabins and the galley, while further improvements are already under consideration. Wilson says The Cat service between Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, and Bar Harbor, Maine, could receive a refresh in the coming years, complemented by accessibility upgrades and continued enhancements to passenger amenities.
“We reshaped our ‘pets onboard policy’ to expand the areas where passengers can take their pets, and that has been well received,” says Wilson. “We’re also looking to improve accessibility through our elevator services and stairs for those with disabilities or impairments.”
As a board member of Interferry, Wilson regularly discusses how operators can balance evolving environmental expectations with maintaining reliable, affordable services.
“We’re always trying to shape the industry in a positive way and become more environmentally friendly,” he says. “As electrification and alternative fuels are rolled out, governments and regulators need to work hand in hand with operators. We have to move forward, but it can’t all be at the expense of our customers.”
Fundy Rose, operated by Bay Ferries, undergoes routine bi-annual drydock maintenance and safety refits (Photo: Bay Ferries)
Safety, however, remains the organisation’s defining priority. Wilson believes genuine safety goes far beyond compliance, relying instead on a culture where every employee feels confident speaking up when something is wrong. Drawing on work undertaken with a UK-based safety specialist, he says creating that environment is one of the most important responsibilities for any ferry operator.
“It’s in the best interest of every professional marine organisation to focus on safety,” he says. “We’re moving a lot of people every day, so our ferry captains, terminal managers and employees need an environment where they can speak up and not live in fear of doing so. The importance of building a culture of safety behind the scenes can’t be stressed enough.”
Developing that culture also depends on attracting and supporting the next generation of ferry professionals. Following a significant wave of retirements, Northumberland Ferries and Bay Ferries have recruited and trained large numbers of new employees. Wilson will share those experiences during a panel discussion on workforce recruitment, retention and training at Interferry’s 50th Annual Conference, which is taking place now until 4 November in Bangkok, Thailand.
Discover more insights on the passenger shipping industry in the Autumn/Winter 2026 issue of Cruise & Ferry Review. To get content like this on a regular basis, subscribe to the print editions or free digital editions of our Cruise & Ferry publications.