Ferry unfair: MP rails against feds over Forces exclusion

[Nfld Sapper]

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Ferry unfair: MP rails against feds over Forces exclusion
Last Updated: Monday, April 21, 2008 | 7:59 AM NT
CBC News
A Newfoundland and Labrador MP says it's unfair that a federal government tip of the hat to military personnel is not being extended to a Crown ferry service.

Via Rail is offering free travel on its trains in June to members and veterans of the Armed Forces, as a gesture of thanks for service to Canada.

Gerry Byrne, the Liberal MP representing the western Newfoundland riding of Humber–St. Barbe–Baie Verte, said the same offer should extend to Marine Atlantic, the Crown corporation that runs the ferry service connecting southern Newfoundland with Nova Scotia.

"I can understand where Marine Atlantic would want to have some indemnification if they lose revenue as a result of this," Byrne said.

"They'll want to have that revenue replaced by the federal government. That's, I'm certain, the case with Via Rail."

Byrne said it is unfair that the gesture is not being offered in his province.

Byrne said, though, that the federal government does not support the idea. He said there is not much time left to extend the service to the ferries.

Via Rail runs trains between British Columbia and Nova Scotia. The rail line across Newfoundland was dismantled in the late 1980s.

 

[X-mo-1979]

My mother called and told me about this last week.

I think it would be an awesome gesture.They have had our support (read lack of competition)for years traveling back once or twice a year.

I hope they do,even though I will not make it home till august due to task force training it would be very nice to see.

I wonder why the federal government does not support it?Maybe the cost of every Newfoundland CF member and his family would be too great?

Last year when I was on the ferry we got two free meals after the bomb threat on the boat.That was pretty sweet. (I eat what ever costs the most...if I like it or not! ;D )

 

[geo]

x-mo
Far as I know, CN is carrying the bill for the "gesture" they have offered to the Military.  The Fed Gov't is apparently not reimbursing CN for this act.

I don't know what kind of ownership exists for Marine Atlantic... quite possible that the Feds are still partly involved them ... anyone?

It would make a hell of a goodwill gesture & a great business expense regardless - IMHO

 

[scoutfinch]

Marine Atlantic is an independant , crown corporation just as Via Rail.  That being said, there is no linkage between the two. 

 

[Proud_Newfoundlander]

Actually, the train line here was largely not used for passengers for years before it closed. It was also not exclusively for passengers, but freight as well, mainly freight.

Newfoundlanders perceived to have been treated unfairly ? haha, whats sounds new about that  :

 

[geo]

well yeah... CN was, at one time owner & operator of TERRA transport - IIRC
and TERRA operated bus service throughout the Rock... again IIRC.

 

[Nfld Sapper]

well yeah... CN was, at one time owner & operator of TERRA transport - IIRC
and TERRA operated bus service throughout the Rock... again IIRC.

You are correct there geo.

Terra Transport (TT) was the name for the Newfoundland Transportation Division, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canadian National Railway (CN), created in 1979 as a means to organize the company's operations on the island of Newfoundland.

CN also operated a main line passenger train that ran from St. John's to Port aux Basque called the Caribou . Nicknamed the Newfie Bullett. This train ran until June 1969. It was replaced by the CN Roadcruiser Buses. The CN Roadcruiser service was started in the Fall of 1968 and was ran in direct competition with the companys own passenger train the "Caribou". Travelers saw that the buses could travel between St.John's and Port aux Basque in 14 hours verses the trains 22 hoursTerratransport/CN would run the Roadcruiser bus service until March 29 1996. The Bus service was sold off to DRL Coachlines of Triton, Newfoundland.

 

[BinRat55]

It would make a hell of a goodwill gesture & a great business expense regardless - IMHO

Agreed geo - but the only thing is that more people will choose VIA over their competetor (they do have one, right? I'm not sure - i'm on the rock - no trains!!) and what competetor does Marine Atlantic have? Now, before anyone else jumps in and says "Air Canada" I am purely referring to drivers.

Did you know that the ferry service was at one time free? As it was built as an extension of the TCH, it was considered public roads across the Atlantic...  8)

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Agreed geo - but the only thing is that more people will choose VIA over their competetor (they do have one, right? I'm not sure - i'm on the rock - no trains!!) and what competetor does Marine Atlantic have? Now, before anyone else jumps in and says "Air Canada" I am purely referring to drivers.

Did you know that the ferry service was at one time free? As it was built as an extension of the TCH, it was considered public roads across the Atlantic...  8)

Hmm... I wonder does the ARCON road moves have to pay for ferry passage?

 

[Blackadder1916]

Did you know that the ferry service was at one time free? As it was built as an extension of the TCH, it was considered public roads across the Atlantic... 

 
That is, perhaps, a myth.  The ferries between Port Aux Basques and North Sydney had been a service of the Newfoundland Railway (and of the Reid Newfoundland Company prior to its nationalization) before Canada joined Newfoundland in 1949.  The continuation and maintenance of that service by the Canadian government was one of the  terms of the Newfoundland Act.  Reference is made in that section as to the rate that would apply to traffic on that route.  It is unlikely that passengers ever had free passage on the ferries, I know I had to pay 37 years ago and I recall my grandfather (a former employee of the Reid Newfoundland Railway) speaking about paying a "special" fare because he had worked for them.

Newfoundland Act

32. (1) Canada will maintain in accordance with the traffic offering a freight and passenger steamship service between North Sydney and Port aux Basques, which, on completion of a motor highway between Corner Brook and Port aux Basques, will include suitable provision for the carriage of motor vehicles:

(2) For the purpose of railway rate regulation the Island of Newfoundland will be included in the Maritime region of Canada, and through traffic moving between North Sydney and Port aux Basques will be treated as all rail traffic.

(3) All legislation of the Parliament of Canada providing for special rates on traffic moving within, into, or out of, the Maritime region will as far as appropriate, be made applicable to the Island of Newfoundland.

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Ferries

On June 30, 1898, the first passenger train arrived in Port aux Basques, and the Bruce departed for North Sydney shortly afterward. Over the years, the Newfoundland Railway expanded both the number of trains and vessels which called at Port Aux Basques. In 1925 the steamer SS Caribou began service. She was attacked and sunk by a U-boat on October 14, 1942 with a loss of 137 lives, some from the Port aux Basques area. On March 31, 1949 Newfoundland entered into Confederation and the railway was transferred to Canadian National Railways.

Under CNR in the 1950s, Port aux Basques was expanded with the construction of new dock facilities and the arrival of newer and larger ships such as the MV William Carson. Extensive blasting of rock created large railyards with extensive dual-gauge trackage. The excess rock was then used as fill to create the required docks. By the mid-1960s, new railcar-capable ferries such as the Frederick Carter permitted the exchange of railcars, requiring further expansion at the Port aux Basques terminal facilities.

The mid-1960s also saw the completion of the Trans-Canada Highway across Newfoundland, an event which eventually led to the closure of the railway by 1988, but which made Port aux Basques into an even more important gateway to the island of Newfoundland, given the increased number of tourists visiting the province, and the rising amount of truck traffic. New Ro-Pax-capable vessels were commissioned and/or chartered during the 1960s-1980s to meet the growing demand, such as the Marine Nautica, Marine Atlantica, Marine Evangeline, Ambrose Shea, and John Hamilton Gray.

With the abandonment of the railway, extensive rebuilding of Port aux Basques terminal resulted in expansive marshalling areas for waiting motor vehicle traffic. A plant disease inspection station is located near a modern rebuilt railway station now used as a passenger terminal for the ferry service operated by Marine Atlantic, which was renamed from CN Marine in 1986. Port aux Basques harbour hosts the arrival of the two largest icebreaking ferries in Canada, the Caribou and Joseph and Clara Smallwood, as well as other passenger and cargo vessels.

 

[BinRat55]

Wow!! Thanks for the history lesson - 'specially Blackadder - I love first hand knowledge!! (um... no offence... :-\ ) I was always told that, for a time, no charges were levied due to the provincial highways and traffic act which was changed about a dozen times in the early 70's. I never really had any first hand knowledge, as I don't believe my family ever had a car and no reason to travel off the island!!

Hmm... I wonder does the ARCON road moves have to pay for ferry passage?

Good question there - I know that if i'm driving a DND vehicle from Oromocto to Halifax I don't pay toll - would that be the same thing I wonder?

 

[Neill McKay]

A few comments to clear up the ownership and roles of the various companies involved, for anyone interested; some of this has been mentioned by others:

- VIA Rail and Marine Atlantic are both Crown corporations; the federal government owns each one in its entirety, but they are not otherwise related to one another.

- VIA Rail was originally part of CN, having been formed from the passenger operations of CN and CP.  CN was, at that time, still a Crown corporation.

- Today CN is no longer a Crown corporation, but rather a publicly-traded commercial company.  There is no common ownership between CN and VIA Rail.

- VIA Rail operates its own trains but owns almost no track.  Most VIA Rail trains operate over CN track, for which VIA Rail pays CN.

- Marine Atlantic was formerly known as CN Marine, and was at that time part of CN.  It was split from CN before CN was privatized.

- Marine Atlantic's only remaining function is to provide ferry service between North Sydney (in Cape Breton) and Newfoundland.  Until the 1990s Marine Atlantic provided other ferry services including the NB-PEI, Saint John-Digby, Yarmouth-Maine, and coastal Newfoundland services.

Apart from good corporate citizenship there's nothing to require Marine Atlantic to copy VIA Rail's policy.  Part of the reason for both being Crown corporations is to let them act with a degree of independence from the government and make their own business decisions.  It would be very unusual to see the government step in and mandate that Marine Atlantic follow VIA Rail's example.

 

[BinRat55]

From the VOCM website yesterday -

Free Travel Offer Will Include Marine Atlantic
May 5, 2008

The free travel offer for veterans and members of the armed forces has been extended to include Marine Atlantic. Liberal MP Gerry Byrne says he received a letter to that effect from Marine Atlantic's acting president and CEO John Roil. But Byrne says unlike the VIA Rail offer, the Marine Atlantic program won't come into effect until 2009. Full details will be available when the 2009 Marine Atlantic schedule is issued this fall.

Thank you Marine Atlantic. 

 

[geo]

Heh... Pressure applied & ducks lined up in a row

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Hmm... I wonder does the ARCON road moves have to pay for ferry passage?

I am going to say yes (but without SOLID confirmation) as I can guarantee you that units in PEI used to pay for the ferry and still pay the fee to SCBL.