BREAKING NEWS: Yarmouth To Portland Ferry Deal Reached

Ferry service to resume between Yarmouth and Portland in May 2014
Yarmouth, Nova Scotia - The province of Nova Scotia has reached an agreement with STM Quest Inc. to operate a cruise ferry between Yarmouth and Portland, Maine.

Economic and Rural Development and Tourism Minister Graham Steele made the announcement Thursday, Sept. 5, in Yarmouth.

"We have a deal," said Steele. "STM Quest has a plan to put a cruise ferry in the water in May, and the province and STM Quest have negotiated an agreement that will benefit families, local businesses and tourism operators in southwestern Nova Scotia."

Steele noted that much of the final negotiations on the agreement had taken place in Yarmouth last week.
STM Quest has committed to create new jobs for Nova Scotians and purchase products and services from Nova Scotia businesses.

The province will provide STM Quest $21 million over seven years, with a number of terms and conditions that must be met. Of the $21 million, $10.5 million will go toward start-up costs, with $1.5 million each year for marketing over the seven years.

"We are very pleased with the tremendous progress that we have made," said Mark Amundsen, president and CEO of Quest Navigation. "We are working to finalize the details of our joint venture, and we're excited to start moving 'full steam ahead' with our plans to re-establish the Yarmouth-Portland cruise ferry service in May of 2014."

Some of the terms and conditions STM Quest must meet include:
• a finalized joint-venture agreement between ST Marine and Quest Navigation
• all required licences and permits
• the ferry being operated on the agreed schedule

The sailing schedule will be May 1 to Oct. 31, departing Yarmouth daily at 9 a.m. and arriving in Portland at 5 p.m., local time. The return trip would leave Portland at 8 p.m. and arrive in Yarmouth at 7 a.m., local time.

"This is the news we have been waiting for," said Yarmouth Mayor Pam Mood said in a news release. "The feeling here in Yarmouth and throughout the province is one of both relief and excitement. Thank you to all parties involved for the hard work and dedication.

"There's still much to be done and I know the town and surrounding communities are on board. A warm welcome STM Quest. We're so glad to have you and look forward to the relationships we'll build."
Steele said reaching an agreement is a big piece of the puzzle, but he added there are still a number of things that have to fall into place for a 2014 ferry service to happen.

"We will continue to work with our partners to create the conditions needed for a viable and successful ferry between Yarmouth and Portland,” he said.

RCN America Network is excited about this news and can't wait for the ferry service between these two ports are restored.

Nova Scotia Tourism Launches 'Hit the Road With Me' Contest

Fans of the province will be creating their dream Nova Scotia road trips with a new Facebook contest, for a chance to have their dream come true.

Nova Scotia tourism launched its Hit the Road With Me contest today, May 13, tempting potential visitors with a grand prize road trip to Nova Scotia, valued at up to $10,000.

"The Hit the Road With Me promotion is just one of the innovative tactics we have launched to attract more first-time visitors to Nova Scotia," said Nova Scotia Tourism Agency CEO, Patrick Sullivan. "Through this year's marketing campaign, Take Yourself There, we are reaching people in our key markets who haven't yet had the opportunity to discover all of the amazing things our beautiful province has to offer."

In addition to the grand prize, each week, one lucky winner will receive an iPod Shuffle, loaded with a Nova Scotia playlist.

Hit the Road With Me will ask contestants to think about where they would like to travel in the province, what kind of activities they would like to do, and who they would like to bring along for the ride.

Participants can choose six exciting activities from 32 options, and enter the contest once a day. The range of choices includes everything from a thrilling hot-air balloon ride, to a great day at the beach, to a discovery tour of historic lighthouses. Each contestant can choose three Facebook friends to join in the fun.

"It's great to see the Nova Scotia Tourism Agency coming up with fun and innovative social media campaigns to help attract new visitors to the province," said Katherine Bailey, co-owner of East Coast Balloon Adventures.

Social media is a major component of this year's tourism marketing campaign. The Nova Scotia Tourism Facebook page is closing in on 100,000 fans, and the focus remains on engagement. For example, the weekly Friday Fan Photos, an album of user-submitted photos, receives more than 1,000 likes and 500 shares each week, with many fans posting positive comments.

According to socialbaker.com, a popular social media analytics platform, the Nova Scotia Tourism page is often among the top five Facebook pages in Canada for engagement.

The Hit the Road With Me contest runs until June 24. To enter, simply "like" the Nova Scotia Tourism Facebook page. The grand prize-winner will be notified by July 2.

For more information, visit www.novascotia.com

US Coast Guard Aircraft Assisting In Long-range Search For Missing Canadian Fishermen

Fishing vessel Miss Ally

BOSTON - An infared image of a liferaft is shown approximately 50 miles south of Halifax Nova Scotia, Feb. 18, 2013. The liferaft was found while searching for the crew of the fishing vessel Miss Ally. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod.

BOSTON - The Coast Guard is searching for five missing fishermen after communication was lost with them approximately 50 miles south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Tuesday.

Watchstanders at the 1st Coast Guard District in Boston received a request from the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Halifax on Monday to assist in locating the 45-foot fishing vessel Miss Ally, homeported in Nova Scotia, whose crew was beset by weather and were having difficulty returning to port in Halifax.

JRCC Halifax had been talking with the Miss Ally crew and contacted the Coast Guard when they lost communication with them.

A Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod, Mass., HU-25 Falcon jet crew launched and located a life raft at approximately 3 a.m., Monday. The Falcon crew dropped a self-locating datum marker buoy to mark the position.

JRCC Halifax also specifically requested the new Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod HC-144A Ocean Sentry to assist in the search due to their state-of-the-art technologies and long flight endurance.

The HC-144A also has operational flexibility, with a rear ramp that allows crews to quickly reconfigure the aircraft for varied missions such as command and control, medical evacuation or passenger transport. With an endurance of more than 10 hours, this fixed-wing, turbo-prop aircraft has an extensive sensor capability that helps the Coast Guard fulfill its maritime patrol, drug and migrant interdiction, disaster response, and search and rescue missions more effectively. The HC-144A Ocean Sentry Medium Range Surveillance aircraft is becoming the Coast Guard’s primary maritime patrol aircraft. The HC-144A cockpit provides superior situational awareness, allowing crews to better concentrate on their missions.

"That aircraft is going to fly out 300 miles and stay on scene for a heavy search it is specifically designed to perform," said Lt. Joe Klinker, 1st Coast Guard District public affairs officer. "Our greatest hope is that all of these advantages give us the one thing was can't just build into an aircraft: the safe return of these fishermen."

Peggy's Cove Nova Scotia in the snow this afternoon.

Peggy's Cove Nova Scotia in the snow this afternoon.