Ferry service restored to Boblo Island following lengthy outage

Ferry service to Bois Blanc, or better known as Boblo Island has been restored. 

The privately owned and operated ferry was taken out of service on Friday Oct. 27 for what was being called 'routine maintenance', while the backup ferry was deemed unsafe by Transport Canada.  

The return to service date kept being pushed back as other issues came to light.  

Around 9:30 p.m. Friday Nov. 10, the main vessel was brought back into service, however Mayor of Amherstburg Michael Prue, and an island resident himself, says the backup ferry is still not running. 

Prue says he believes Amico properties, which owns the Amherstburg Ferry Company and Boblo Island, has an obligation to keep both ferries seaworthy at all times.  

"Because in the event of a major catastrophe or major fire, we rely very much on the expertise of the team in town. The fire chief and all the emergency planning people."

He says town council is looking at ways to strengthen the agreement around emergency planning.

"The developer has to and did submit an emergency plan, however the emergency plan I do not believe, and I think council would probably agree, is strong enough to ensure that at all times we have at least some control over those means of transportation."

Prue says when it comes to island residents having more control, he says he spoke on Saturday with the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Transportation.

"Who suggested that we may want to form an association similar to a life lease program which would give us more say, because right now the association that exists on the island is in fact the developers association."

Prue says he expects to hear from the provincial Minister of Transportation on Monday. 

Amherstburg town council meets Monday evening at 6 p.m. Prue says while the issue is not currently on the agenda, he says he would be surprised if a councillor did not ask for the issue to be brought forward to the next council meeting on Nov. 27.