Central Nova MP Sean Fraser says the replacement of a provincial ferry from Port Bickerton to Isaacs Harbour is extremely important to residents in the local area.
Fraser was on hand over the weekend for the official launch of the new ferry, the Theodore
Alivia Mansfield, a student at St. Mary’s Education Centre/Academy standing on the deck of the Theodore O’Hara. A contest was held last spring to name the new ferry. The successful submission came from Alivia, then a Grade 2 student. It’s named in honour of Port Bickerton’s first lighthouse keeper (Communications Nova Scotia photo)
O’Hara, named in honour of the first lighthouse keeper in Port Bickerton.
The ferry cost about $6 million with the the federal and provincial governments each funding approximately $3 million each.
Fraser says it helps create jobs in the short-term and helps protect the well-being of local communities.
The vessel was built in Nova Scotia by A. S. Theriault and Son of Meteghan River. The boatyard has manufactured more than 1,000 vessels over the past 80 years.
The Theodore O’Hara replaces the Stormont II, a 41-year-old 12-car cable ferry.