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HIRA ferry petition update November 3, 2022

Director of Transportation Services County of Frontenac Rob Dillabough posted an update on November 3 2022

Good morning,

To follow-up from my message yesterday, Kingston and the Islands MP Mark Gerretsen presented the petition to Transport Minister Omar Alghabra in the House of Commons late yesterday afternoon.

To see video of Mr. Gerretsen’s remarks CLICK HERE.

The text of the petition as presented is as follows:

Petition to the Minister of Transportation, the Hon. Omar Alghabra

Whereas, Howe Island in the Township of Frontenac Islands (Ontario) is serviced by Frontenac Howe Islander Ferry (the “Vessel”);

Whereas, Howe Island has been serviced by a ferry since at least 1898 and without incident by the current Vessel since 2004; 

Whereas, as a result of an inspection by Transport Canada, the capacity of the ferry has been reduced by one-third a decrease of 15 cars to 10 cars), resulting in longer wait times, increased vehicle idling and reduced commerce for Island residents;

Whereas, the Vessel is owned by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and operated by the County of Frontenac;

Whereas, the Vessel owner will require time to make modifications to Vessel in order to meet Transport Canada requirements;

We, the undersigned residents of Howe Island, in the Township of Frontenac Islands (Ontario) call upon the Minister of Transportation to work directly with the Vessel’s owner to develop a reasonable plan of action and time frame for adapting the Vessel and further, in the interim, that the Vessel’s capacity be re-instated. I will update you with any new information on this when it becomes available.

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Reinstate the Frontenac Howe Islander Vehicle capacity

The Howe Island Ratepayers Association has started a petition regarding the Frontenac Howe Islander Ferry and the recent change to its capacity.

Our intent is to present the list to government officials.

We are planning a Town Hall meeting in the near future to discuss the issues and possible solutions to this problem.

The HIRA committee plans to go door to door on the island to collect signatures in the coming weeks.

The petition can also be signed online at

https://www.change.org/HoweIsland_Ferry

Please ensure you only sign your name once either on paper when we come knocking or at the Change.org link shown here
Please take the time to sign the petition and show your support.

 The petition is reprinted here for your reference

  Reinstate the Frontenac Howe Islander Vehicle capacity

HIRA Member services started this petition

Ferry Petition for The Frontenac Howe Islander ferry

The Frontenac Howe Islander ferry services the Howe Island community on the St. Lawrence River east of Kingston Ontario.

The ferry is beyond its expected service life and is experiencing unacceptably increased downtimes due to a variety of mechanical issues. Most recently the capacity on the Howe Island County Ferry the Frontenac Howe Islander has been reduced from 15 cars to 10 cars in response to an order issued by Transport Canada, despite the fact that the ferry has operated at a 15-car capacity for the last 18 years.

We, the undersigned, consider the decision to reduce our ferry capacity by 1/3 to be arbitrary and unacceptable. We want the ferry capacity restored to 15 cars immediately. Failing that, we petition for a new ferry with a larger capacity.

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