Letter to Prime Minister Carney: Marine Atlantic's Role in Building ''One Canadian Economy''

The Right Honourable Mark Carney
Prime Minister of Canada
Office of the Prime Minister, 80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2

cc: The Hon. John Hogan, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador; The Hon. Joanne Thompson, MP St. John’s East; The Hon. Gerry Byrne, MHA Corner Brook; Ms. Carol Anstey, MP Long Range Mountains; Mr. Clifford Small, MP Central Newfoundland; Mr. Jonathan Rowe, MP Terra Nova-The Peninsulas; Mr. Paul Connors, MP Avalon; Mr. Philip Earle, MP Labrador; Mr. Tom Osborne, MP Cape Spear.

Dear Prime Minister Carney,

This week, your government announced measures to support Canadians through reduced fees on the Confederation Bridge and Eastern Canada Ferry Services, along with a reduction of some fees on Marine Atlantic’s ferry services. While we are pleased to see your swift action to reduce Marine Atlantic passenger fares by 50 per cent—an ask we presented to you earlier this year—this action falls significantly short of what is required.

Included in your announcement was support for commercial traffic on the Confederation Bridge and on Eastern Canada Ferry Services. Yet, the Marine Atlantic reduction applies only to passengers, thereby excluding commercial traffic. As a result, Newfoundland and Labrador remains the only Atlantic province without additional federal support for commercial transportation. This is an unacceptable omission given our unique geographic and economic realities.

Even more concerning is the absence of strategy and investment to ensure Marine Atlantic has the capacity to meet both current and future demand. Without action to expand and modernize the ferry fleet to add desperately needed capacity, the recent fare reductions offer little real benefit to the many residents and businesses who continue to face limited availability, service delays, and supply chain disruptions. As your government has acknowledged, 65 per cent of all goods and 90 per cent of our province’s perishable products arrive via this route. Given this reality, capacity constraints are not just operational issues; they are economic vulnerabilities that impact business competitiveness, regional growth, food security and healthcare.

Marine Atlantic is not a discretionary service. It is a constitutionally mandated link that sustains our economy and supports national cohesion. To fully address internal trade barriers, build "One Canadian Economy”, and support the people of our province meaningfully in their daily lives, your government and Marine Atlantic Inc. must work closely together to develop and execute a realistic plan for this crucial link.

I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you or your office, along with Marine Atlantic Inc., to discuss how we can move toward a fair and effective solution that strengthens Newfoundland and Labrador’s connection to the rest of the country.

Sincerely,
AnnMarie Boudreau
CEO
The Board of Trade