HALIFAX: A motion was approved by Halifax Regional Council from Mayor Andy Fillmore directing the Chief Administrative Officer to return to Council, alongside the ferry services operational review, with options to purchase one new passenger ferry servicing the Alderney and Woodside routes.
The report will also consider the infrastructure and operating requirements associated with an additional vessel, including berthing, staffing, and maintenance costs.
Halifax’s conventional passenger ferry fleet has not expanded since 2018, while the municipality’s population has grown by nearly 100,000.
Ferry ridership reached 1.8 million boardings in 2025/26, up three per cent from the previous year even as overall Halifax Transit ridership declined.
All five existing conventional passenger ferries are also approaching mandatory mid-life overhauls.
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Mayor Andy Fillmore stated:
“Halifax is growing, and our infrastructure needs to keep pace.
Our ferries are a core part of the transit system. They move thousands of people between Dartmouth and Halifax every day, provide an alternative to driving, and help take pressure off our bridges and roads.
This year showed us what happens when there isn’t enough flexibility in the fleet. Vessel maintenance reduced Alderney service from every 15 minutes to every 30 minutes, and more than 3,000 ferry trips were cancelled between January and March. We know more major maintenance is coming while our population and demand for ferry service continue to grow.
We shouldn’t wait for the next service disruption to start planning for what comes next.
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“I’ve been clear that we can’t do everything at once. Fiscal discipline isn’t about avoiding investment – it’s about making sure we have the capacity to invest in the core services and infrastructure residents rely on.
Today’s motion doesn’t commit the Council to purchasing a ferry. It asks staff to give us the full picture – including the cost of a new vessel, the infrastructure it would require, and the ongoing staffing and maintenance costs – so we can consider that investment alongside our other priorities through the upcoming budget process.
A growing municipality cannot meet tomorrow’s needs with yesterday’s capacity.
“Good infrastructure requires planning ahead. That’s what we’re doing today.”
A copy of this release is available at halifax.ca/mayor.
