Amherstburg serves Boblo Island developers notice of failure to meet legal obligations over ferry service

The Town of Amherstburg has served Boblo Island developers due to safety concerns with the ferry. CTV Windsor’s Chris Campbell explains.

The developers of Bois Blanc Island, or better known as Boblo Island, have been served notice by the Town of Amherstburg stating that the town believes the company is failing to meet legal obligations regarding ferry service.

As a condition of development of Boblo Island, the town says it secured two specific legal commitments to protect the interests of the Amherstburg community and the public at large:

1. Transport Canada Right: The ferry service must at all times meet the requirements of the Ministry of Transportation and the safety standards of Transport Canada, including the relevant certification requirements.
2. Town Services Right: The ferry service must be provided at no cost and whenever required by the town for administrative, maintenance, emergency, police, and fire personnel purposes.

Amico Properties owns the island and is also responsible for the Amherstburg Ferry Company.

Mayor Michael Prue, who is an island resident himself, says Bois Blanc is required to have two working ferries at all times under the town’s emergency services plan.

“It causes great difficulty to the town, and notwithstanding, the residents as well, in order for us to provide emergency service should there be a fire or necessity of police or an ambulance on the island,” he said.

“It also is difficult for us just to provide ordinary services, garbage pickup, road clearing, plowing, anything that the town would have to go over for.”

The ferry has been plagued by a number problems over the years, most recently in January 2025, when the ferry was out of commission for three days after large ice floes damaged the propeller.

In the fall of 2023, the main ferry was out of service for two weeks for ‘routine maintenance’, and the back up ferry was deemed unsafe by Transport Canada. A prior service disruption also occurred in December 2022.

Prue says the town is requesting that Amico work in good faith immediately to put in a second working ferry, and that two ferries be available at all times.

“They can use one ferry primarily, but they have a second ferry should the first one break down or there be any problems, so that we are not stranding stuff that we need to get over and done on the island to service the people, and nor are they put in any kind of precarious situation, due to us not being able to help them,” said Prue.

According to Prue, the town is reserving its right to take further legal action as it awaits a response from Amico.

“The letter also clearly sets out that the people on the island, and I’m one of them, have a responsibility if they’re not satisfied to get their own legal advice, and do their own legal things, we are just acting on behalf of the town,” he said. “We have an obligation to them because they’re taxpayers, and because they pay, to do all those things to keep them safe and harmless.”

Island residents are required to pay upwards of $5,000 in ferry dues each year, for access to the private ferry that is supposed to operate 24/7, 365 days a year on a 20-minute schedule.

— Dustin Coffman/AM800 News