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Yvonne Jones, Opposition Labrador Affairs Critic and MHA for the District of
Cartwright-L’Anse au Clair, says the Apollo should not have been taken out
of service this past weekend and is calling upon government to conduct a
full review of its winter schedule for the ferry. On Sunday, government
removed the services of the Apollo for the rest of the winter. Currently,
weather conditions in the Strait of Belle Isle have not prevented the Apollo
from sailing between St. Barbe and the coast of Labrador. There is no slob
ice or poor weather conditions in the area that would force the ferry to be
removed from service, and other longliners in the area are still making the
crossing without problem.
"It is absolutely ridiculous that the Apollo has been taken out of
service for no apparent reason," said Ms. Jones. "Weather and ice conditions
in the area are not a problem, yet government has decided to remove the
ferry service for the rest of the winter. Many people on the coast of
Labrador rely on this service and it should not be removed until conditions
warrant such drastic action. The removal of ferry service doesn’t happen
anywhere else in the province, and I am disappointed that Minister Taylor
has taken this action at this point in time.
"The Apollo ferry users committee requested an extension to have this
ferry service available until the end of January. Unfortunately, government
was not willing to accept this request even though there was no apparent
reason for refusal. Weather and ice conditions in the area have changed over
the past few years and it is now possible to run the ferry until the end of
January without problem. Minister Taylor is apparently unwilling to accept
these facts and is doing a great disservice to the people of Labrador who
rely on this service.
"The people of the south coast of Labrador should not have to be treated
in such an unfair manner. This decision is another slap in the face to
Labradorians who continue to receive very little attention from this
government. In light of the changing weather and ice conditions in the
Strait of Belle Isle, I call upon Minister Taylor to initiate a full review
of the scheduling for this ferry service. Weather and ice conditions in the
area can now accommodate a ferry service until the end of January. I am
asking government to move forward with this review, budget sufficient funds
to operate the ferry for these extra few weeks and implement these changes
for the coming season so that we will not have to experience a similar
situation next year."
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