The State of Maine will soon be asked to chip in to support the new Nova Star ferry service between Portland, Maine and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.
Nova Scotia’s economic development minister, Michel Samson, said this week that
he plans to travel to Maine soon for a face to face with Republican Governor Paul LePage to ask for the support. No meeting has yet been set.
“I think it would be the responsible thing to do on behalf of Nova Scotians, " Samson told the Nova Scotia Chronicle Herald on Thursday, "to see how we can find ways of developing partnerships and reducing the financial burden to Nova Scotians regarding the ferry.”
While ridership has picked up in recent weeks, the ferry service struggled for fares this spring, putting it behind financially. The province has already boosted the service with $21 million dollars- a funding pool that was meant to support the service for seven years.
One issue, says Samson is the company's line of credit which the State of Maine was supposed to help secure.
The Nova Star fills the gap left when the high-speed ferry, The Cat, shut down five years ago, after Nova Scotia pulled its subsidies from that service.
