Marine Atlantic could repair trust in Placentia area by extending Ala'suinu season, deputy mayor says

CBC
·3-min read
The Ala’suinu made its maiden voyage to Argentia a month later than expected due to repairs to the ship's fuel and lubrication systems. (Danny Arsenault/CBC - image credit)
The Ala’suinu made its maiden voyage to Argentia a month later than expected due to repairs to the ship's fuel and lubrication systems. (Danny Arsenault/CBC - image credit)
The Ala’suinu made its maiden voyage to Argentia a month later than expected due to repairs to the ship's fuel and lubrication systems.
The Ala’suinu made its maiden voyage to Argentia a month later than expected due to repairs to the ship's fuel and lubrication systems.

The Ala’suinu made its first voyage to Argentia nearly a month later than planned due to repairs to the ship's fuel and lubrication systems. (Danny Arsenault/CBC)

The deputy mayor of Placentia says local businesses have felt the impact of ferry cancellations and delays during the tourism season — and Marine Atlantic has work to do to ensure reliable service and regain the public's trust.

Wayne Power said Thursday that 11 crossings to nearby Argentia were cancelled because of the delays, and he hopes Marine Atlantic will work to limit cancellations and maintain reliable service.

"The joke here sometimes is that it's not a Marine Atlantic season if we don't have interruptions or lose a couple crossings. And they all have impact on the community," he told CBC News. "I think Marine Atlantic needs to step up now."

The new vessel serving Argentia, the Ala'suinu, arrived in the town on the southwest coast of Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula for the first time Thursday. The ferry's first voyage took place about a month later than expected thanks to multiple delays as repair crews cleaned debris from the fuel and lubrication systems.

Travellers aren't in the clear yet, however, as Marine Atlantic has already cancelled the July 17-18 crossings for work related to staff familiarization with the new ferry. The cancelled trips affect 439 passengers on July 17 and 501 passengers on July 18.

Power said the cancellations hit hospitality and tourism businesses the hardest, as they came during the valuable tourism season.

Businesses are ready to make what they can out of the rest of the season, he said, but he'd like to see Marine Atlantic extend the Ala'suinu's travel season — which usually runs from June to September — to allow more runs to help businesses make up for lost time.

Wayne Power is the deputy mayor of Placentia. He says ferry delays have impacted local businesses, and hopes Marine Atlantic can continue work to provide a reliable ferry service to the region.
Wayne Power is the deputy mayor of Placentia. He says ferry delays have impacted local businesses, and hopes Marine Atlantic can continue work to provide a reliable ferry service to the region.

Placentia Deputy Mayor Wayne Power He says ferry delays have impacted local businesses, and he hopes Marine Atlantic will do more work to provide reliable ferry service to the region. (Submitted by Wayne Power)

"[They] need to help rebuild their reputation here now," he said, adding he's heard from travellers who have scrapped travel to Newfoundland and Labrador because of ferry cancellations.

"That's not good when the province is out promoting that, you know, this is the place to come and visit."

In an email to CBC News, Marine Atlantic spokesperson Darrell Mercer said expanding the service hasn't been considered.

"The prime users of this service are tourists looking to travel to eastern Newfoundland. While traffic volumes are high in the summer season, we begin to see a significant drop as we move through September," Mercer said.

Onlookers welcome new vessel

The boat's arrival in Argentia was met with fog at the dock, and a group of eager onlookers.

Maxine Mulrooney came to see the boat, and celebrate the captain — her daughter, Heidi Thomas.

"I'm so excited for her, she works so hard and she's here now. This is not her first trip, but on the new boat it is," she said.

Robert Walker, who was on the first voyage, came to Newfoundland from Montreal and plans to tour the island over the next month.

"It was really nice," he said. "It was a 16-hour [ride], but the time that we took it, it was nice."

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