News release

New Englishtown Ferry Christened

Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal (Oct. 2007 - Feb. 2021)

A new, larger auto ferry at Englishtown, Victoria Co., was christened the Torquil MacLean today, Sept. 24, in honour of the area's first ferry operator.

The $4-million ferry can carry 15 full-size cars per trip, compared with 12 cars per trip on the previous ferry. It was designed by EYE Marine Consultants of Dartmouth and built by A.F. Theriault and Son Ltd. of Meteghan River.

"This is the busiest of our seven provincially operated ferries and sometimes traffic can get backed up," said Murray Scott, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal. "The new ferry should help ease the congestion for the 250,000 vehicles that cross here every year."

One hundred twenty-five students participated in an essay contest to help name the ferry. Students were asked to discuss if the ferry should maintain the name of the previous ferry, the Angus MacAskill, or go with a proposed new name, the Torquil MacLean.

The winning essays were written by Ella Dubinsky, a Grade 11 student at Baddeck Academy, and Bryan Berk, a Grade 5 student at Middle River Consolidated. Both students took part in the christening ceremony.

A commemorative bell and the name plate from the previous ferry were presented to the Giant MacAskill Museum in Englishtown as part of the ceremony.