Halifax ferry service reduced three days after repaired vessel returns to harbour

The Rita Joe ferry departs Halifax. (Jonathan MacInnis/CTV News Atlantic)

On Tuesday, the Alderney ferry in the Halifax Harbour returned to regular service following repairs to a vessel, but three days later, the schedule is getting scaled back.

Halifax Transit says the Alderney ferry service that runs between Dartmouth and Halifax will run every 30 minutes instead of every 15 minutes starting at 2:15 p.m. on Friday. This reduced schedule will run on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 8:15 p.m. until further notice.

The Halifax Regional Municipality says the Christopher Stannix vessel is experiencing a steering issue that requires parts to be replaced, which is the reason for the service reduction.

“These repairs are complex, require specialized expertise and internationally sourced parts that also need to be manufactured and are not readily available as catalogued parts,” a news release from the municipality reads.

“Halifax Transit staff are working with the international supplier in Europe to obtain the required parts to complete the repairs as soon as possible.”

The Vincent Coleman ferry, which was taken out of service last January due to needed repairs for a steering issue, was back in the waters on Tuesday. At the time, Halifax Transit said the regular 15-minute schedule between Halifax and Dartmouth would resume.

Dartmouth East-Burnside Councillor Tony Mancini said he’s frustrated with the schedule change.

“We’re trying to get people to utilize this great ferry when it’s working and here we are again,” Mancini said. “I think those of us who consistently use it, we get frustrated but we continue to use it.

“It’s the group that we want to get out of their car, jump on the ferry and cross -- whether you’re coming from Halifax or from Dartmouth -- those are the folks that are saying it’s not reliable, so, you know what, I’m going to drive and then I get frustrated when I can’t find a parking spot.”

Mayor Andy Fillmore said the service reduction highlights the need to build a reliable transportation system in Halifax.

“At a time when Halifax is growing rapidly and investing heavily in transportation infrastructure, residents rightly expect the core services they already rely on to be dependable,” Fillmore said in an email. “Another major ferry disruption, so soon after full service resumed, is frustrating for everyone.

“We need to have honest conversations about long-term ferry capacity, redundancy, and how we better leverage our harbour to build a more flexible transportation network.”

The Craig Blake ferry is also out of service due to repairs and it is not expected to return until later this year.

Halifax Transit said the Woodside ferry service had a service disruption on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning due to the steering issue with the Christopher Stannix, but it was expected to resume its regular schedule on Friday afternoon.

With files from CTV News Atlantic’s Jonathan MacInnis and Jeremy Hull

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