I will be in Portland Maine in early October. Nova Scotia has long been on my "bucket list" and I was excited to visit for 2-3 days in conjunction with my trip to Portland. I am saddened to learn there is no longer a ferry. It is unlikely I will rent a car due to cost & time to drive, and therefore will not be visiting NS at this time. Please consider bringing back this route. Thank you, Audrey Reynolds

There have been several times that I considered traveling to NS as a tourist, but each time the drive is just too far and too tiring. Had there been ferry service from Portland (or Boston), I surely would have gone. Please bring back the ferry, I think you will see that many younger people like myself have an interest in exploring NS.

WE USED TO VISIT OUR RELATIVES ONCE TWICE A YEAR BUT WITH NO PORTLAND FERRY ANYMORE,IT,S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. WE HAVE LIVED IN NEW ENGLAND FOR OVER 40 YEARS BUT GETTING UP THERE IN AGE IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE.WE ARE STILL CANADIAN CITIZENS AND BOTH OUR FAMILY LIVES THERE.WE JUST LOVE TO GO BACK AND VISIT.WE FEEL VERY BAD ABOUT THE WAY YARMOUTH AND ALL THE LOCAL BUSINESS HAVE SUFFERED.SO WE HOPE THAT THERE WILL BE FERRY IN VERY NEAR FUTURE . THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION

I have 3 generations buried in Nova Scotia and have been going there every summer for my entire life- over 50 years. My grandfather owned "Sand Hills Beach" 0ver 500 acres near Sebim Beach in Barrington- which he sold to the goverment -all except a beautiful pc of land he left to my mother- which she built her dream house on- which was willed to me and my family. We loved taking the boat from Portland to Yarmouth every summer! Unfortunately it is just about impossible for us to make the trip- the drive is just too much. To make matters worse the Canadian government WOULDN'T LET ME IN THE COUNTRY a couple of years ago because I had "mace" in my purse (I have a permit for it in the United States and completely forgot I even had it)-that did not matter to them- I was not allowed in the country. Canada has given me a very bad taste in my mouth. It's almost as if they dont want tourism at all- I can't understand it! They are going backwards- making it harder and harder for people to get there. I feel bad for the business's there! They should be thriving. I feel bad for myself and my family especially- not being able to appreciate the beautiful land and home my grandparents left for us-

I am a Canadian Citizen Living in the US as a resident (Kansas) and would dearly love to make a trip home to NS every year or, at the very least, every two yrs. However, all the airline travel directives has made it too stressful. I would LOVE if I could do one flight only-perhaps Denver or Wichita directly to Boston...then head home to Halifax on the Ferry. (Just the thought is so exciting!) One flight (within US-to avoid the customs/security fiasco) is all I can take, any more than that-too stressful. If there were a ferry Boston to Halifax, I'd be home every year, spending money and having a great time seeing family and friends. As it stands now, looks like I'll only make it home every 5 yrs. I've tried for at least every 2yrs but its just getting too stressful. Please place a Boston to Halifax Ferry! I'll SURELY use it!! ~Suzette Crone

We have been Summer residents since 1973. For many years we have entertained many visitors. Not one or two per year, as many as 25 plus. Many of our visitors went for side trips to Halifax and Cape Breton and of course the obligatory trip to Yarmouth. The females had to go to Northern reflections. Lunches and dinners, they all spent. The last couple of years only a few have been able to come. Four vacation days on the road isn't inviting. No matter how you plan the trip it takes 17 hours from Boston. If the Digby Ferry is down you'll have to drive all of those miles. This happened to my Son this June. Ironically the winner in this debacle has to be Calais Maine. That's where we stay and eat coming and going.

I'm in exactly the same position as Monica Crook. I am delaying building on a plot of land in the Yarmouth area until there is a resumption in the ferry service from Portland or Bar Harbor. We've used those services since childhood in the 1950's. We would want to make several visits a year. It's not practical to have to drive around. It was 1700 km point-to-point when we did it last year. We were tired and the time required eats into one's available days off. The old ferry services to Yarmouth were perfect. We could be in either Portland or Bar Harbor in under ten hours - a reasonable days drive through scenic New England. Even taking the St John - Digby boat requires more driving time than is comfortable from where we are in Ontario.

As a visitor to the Yarmouth area since childhood, it saddens me to witness the destruction of a beautiful town. Prior to the ferry debacle, I purchased oceanfront property in the area with all intentions to build a home. Instead of contributing to the local economy, I now have huge reservations to move forward with construction. Yarmouth is hanging on by a thread! Hopefully those responsible will remedy the situation before southwestern NS is unable to recover!

My family and I have been visiting Nova Scotia every summer for over 30 years. My parents have a little place on the South Shore that we've not been to now in two years. It is falling into disrepair because getting there is much more difficult. They are not able to fly or easily drive the longer distance. I simply can't take the extra days off from work needed to make the longer trip. By the time I get there, I'll have to turn around and come home. The absense of a New England-Yarmouth ferry has been truly heart-breaking for us. Honestly. We miss Nova Scotia terribly!! We've been hopeful for the Boston-Halifax project to take root but no luck yet. I personally miss the days of the overnight Ferry but the CAT also got the job done. I really can't believe the government allowed this service to stop. So sad.

My family had one of our best vacations ever a few years ago when we rode the ferry from Maine to Yarmouth and then drove to the cottage we rented in Annapolis Royal. We would love to visit again, but the lack of a ferry boat make the whole adventure far more expensive and less attractive. Bring back the Cat or a reasonable substitute and we would gladly explore Nova Scotia, one of the prettiest places I've ever been. Scott Allen - Boston

In my own opinion The Cat failed because of where it was no offense to Yarmouth but 70 percent of the population of N.S live in Halifax I think a ferry running from Halifax to Boston to major cities would be more practical Ive travelled on many occasions in that direction and did not take the cat because of the initial 3.5 hour journey from halifax to yarmouth pitting cost and wait time it was easier to head towards moncton. myself halifax to boston ferry would be more feasible

I've just spent over 30 minutes on-line searching for info about the ferry - any ferry - from Maine - any point in Maine! - to Nova Scotia. We were planning a week's holiday and thought it would be fun to spend half of it in Nova Scotia. Now, having discovered this site, I'm figuring out why I couldn't find a ferry. Seriously? Guess I will go somewhere else in Maine for my 4 days - not Nova Scotia. What a shame.

The termination of the ferry is very short sighted. Having options is key in life, it just makes the world an easier place in which to live and do business. Ask the same question of the Alberta Government and the Federal Government as to why they have not twinned the highway between Fort McMurray and Edmonton or why they haven't put in a dedicated rail line between the two points....? On the largest resource based business in Canada? American friends tell me it is a no brainer, Canadians say why not...it is all about jobs , jobs, and making it easier to do business, the ferry should be brought back.....by the way, where do they keep the ferry anyway?...a government garage? KC

The first time I took Cat Ferry to cover Yarmouth and Maine distance was in summer 2000. Since then, I went back 8 out of 12 summers, to visit Maritimes and New England. This was possible due to the Ferry system. The trip to Halifax through New England by St-John/Digby's ferry proved to be too long, exhausting and costly and discouraging going back up to Maritimes. Hope the Ferry between Maine and Yarmouth is back, so I resume visiting this paradisiac regions. Merci.

Since the early 1990's we have been making annual vacation trips to Nova Scotia. The International ferry, in particular the Scotia Prince, was the best way to make the journey. Our vacations ranged from two to four weeks. In our travels we grew very fond of the Shelburne area and eventually bought buildable property in Round Bay. These past 2 years, now the beginning of our retirement, have been particularly frustrating. We had hoped to start construction 2 summers ago and be on hand, at least part of the time to supervise the work and to be involved. We are concerned that the loss of the ferry has devalued our property and we are certainly not contributing to the economy of the province as we have stayed home these past 2 summers and we have not started construction. I should mention that the CAT out of Bar Harbor made much more sense that the CAT our of Portland. That particular trip was not really suited to the amenities the CAT had to offer. That is where the Scotia Prince was at it's best. Bring back the international ferry between New England and Nova Scotia. Both economies need that link of business and tourism dollars.

My parents were both born in Shelburne County N.S. and I have numerous relatives who live there. We used to drive from our home in Pennsylvania to Portland Maine to catch the ferry to Yarmouth, a leisurely 7 to 8 hour trip. This same trip now takes a day and a half as we have to drive to St. John NB. Please bring the Ferry back!

We live in Western Head, just outside Liverpool. Our sons and their families love to visit. The lack of a ferry makes life difficult. One son and his family spend one week's vacation Maine in June. In order for the five family members to visit us here in Nova Scotia, they were required to fly to Boston from Portland, then fly to Halifax. In the past, they took the ferry from Portland and we picked them up at Yarmouth. We live here in the summers. The ferry allows us a pleasant journey. Without it the drive is long and tedious.

Living in Los Angeles and visiting my grandparents in Nova Scotia is never easy. But it used to be much simpler when I could fly to meet my parents in Boston and then we could just hope on the overnight ferry together. Now I have to get there days earlier so we can drive 8 extra hours to make the boat in St. John and then still drive around the coast to my grandparents' house in Pubnico. Selfishly the loss of the ferry is a massive annoyance but in a larger sense you can see the effect on the Yarmouth economy firsthand just by driving through town. The ferry makes good financial sense and will only help NS. Please bring it back.

As a college student in New England and an avid traveler, I have always dreamed of visiting Nova Scotia. The lack of ferry service makes it almost impossible for me to visit given the now much more inconvenient and longer trip. What I could enjoy in a few days with a ferry service now requires at least a week.

The ferry service between Yarmouth, Nova Scotia and Maine has been a vital piece of transportation infrastructure for many years. These ferries carried people to visit family, to return to a beloved destination or to discover a new and magical place. The traditional ferries also aided in the smooth and swift transport of goods. Without this ferry link, Southwest Nova Scotia, and Yarmouth in particular, goes from being part of a transportation route to being at the end of nowhere. For the benefit of tourism, trade, ease of passage, and for the return of the tax dollars that are being lost from the new money that is NOT being spent in our province by the visitors who are no longer arriving, we need our ferry back!