Residents not giving up despite government refusing to budge on Gagetown ferry closure

The Village of Gagetown may have lost its ferry but it hasn’t lost hope, despite the New Brunswick government saying the decision is final.

The province’s 2016 budget brought about the cancellation of the small town’s ferry service, a move that many residents have voiced their disapproval over.

READ MORE: Residents fighting to bring back the Gagetown ferry

“It’s a part of the social fabric of the community,” said Hiscock.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's a part of the social fabric of the community," said Hiscock.

The ferry crosses the narrow strait of the St. John River, connecting Gagetown to Jamseg.

On Thursday concerned citizens met with Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Bill Fraser to once again discuss the government ruling.

Hiscock says although he was appreciative of the chance to speak with the minister, their issues aren’t being taken into consideration.

“After we talked for an hour he immediately said within seconds ‘no I’m not changing my mind,'” explained Hiscock. “It shows to me that obviously he didn’t listen to what we had to say.”

Calls for impact study ignored

Gagetown-Petitcodiac MLA Ross Wetmore has been very vocal on the subject during legislative sittings, speaking on behalf of residents and submitting several petitions in the house.

Wetmore says he’s in the same boat as the residents when it comes to getting the province’s attention after his call for an impact study on the ferry was ignored.

“If the report comes back and says ‘look there’s no impact by losing the ferry,’ then that’ll show that the government made the right decision,” he said. “This government wouldn’t even do that.”

Minister Fraser said the decision to shut down the service was due to an alternate route being available — a 33 kilometre drive along the highway — low ridership and that the need for a replacement vessel would be very costly for the province.

“When we looked at the issue with the Gagetown ferry, the fact that the ferry had to be replaced and it was going to be a $5 million cost,” said Fraser

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“It was a decision that our government made to remove that river ferry from the system.”

READ MORE: Opposition criticizes New Brunswick budget as ‘smoke and mirrors’

Despite talks not going the way they would have hoped, Hiscock says they aren’t about to give up the fight just yet.

“We’re now looking at forming a coalition of rural communities that’s been affected by the decisions of this government and we will as a group do something about it,” said Hiscock.

Fraser said that the Gagetown ferry and two other vessels have now been stripped for useful parts and a tender for the sale of the three decommissioned ferries will go out on Monday.