Status Update on the Replacement of the MV Holiday Island
Location: Central Nova, Nova Scotia / Cardigan, Prince Edward Island
Issue/Source: Eastern Canada Ferry Services / TRAN
Date: March 2024
Suggested Responses
- The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring a two-vessel ferry service in peak season between Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island, and Caribou, Nova Scotia, that meets traffic demand.
- In summer 2022, the MV Holiday Island was removed from service due to an onboard fire. The vessel has been disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner.
- In November 2023, the Government of Canada announced that it would acquire the MV Fanafjord as an interim replacement for the MV Holiday Island. The vessel is expected to be in service in the summer of 2024.
- The ferry operator has signed an agreement with the Société des traversiers du Québec to charter the MV Saaremaa for use on the Wood Islands – Caribou route, until the MV Fanafjord is ready for service. The MV Saaremaa will be available through the summer until mid-October, if required.
If there are questions on the new ferry:
- The new ferry replacing the MV Holiday Island is being designed and built at Chantier Davie but is not expected to enter service until 2028.
- Pre-construction activities are progressing, and preliminary design is expected to be completed in the Summer of 2024.
Background Information
- Through the Ferry Services Contribution Program, Transport Canada provides funding to private operators to support three interprovincial ferry services in Eastern Canada, including service between: (i) Wood Islands, Prince Edward Island and Caribou, Nova Scotia; (ii) Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec and Souris, Prince Edward Island; and (iii) Saint John, New Brunswick and Digby, Nova Scotia.
- The vessels and terminals used to provide the services are owned by Transport Canada and are leased to the operators for a nominal amount.
- Budget 2019 announced that the Government of Canada would procure two new vessels from a Canadian shipyard to replace the MV Madeleine and the MV Holiday Island as both ferries were at the end of their useful lives.
- On July 22, 2022, there was an engine fire on board the MV Holiday Island. The vessel was damaged beyond repair and the ferry operator chartered the MV Saaremaa for the remainder of the season. The MV Holiday Island has been disposed of in an environmentally conscious manner.
- On August 23, 2024, the Government published an Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) to signal its intention to purchase the MV Fanafjord to serve as an interim replacement for the MV Holiday Island until the new replacement ferry is completed. The ACAN allowed other interested suppliers 15 days to submit a statement of capabilities demonstrating they met Transport Canada’s requirements.
- On November 16, 2023, the Government announced that it would be acquiring the MV Fanafjord as an interim replacement for the MV Holiday Island at a cost of approximately $38.6M. The vessel is currently undergoing refit work in Norway and is expected to be in service in summer 2024.