Better late than never was the reaction on both sides of Lake Ontario, when the postponement of resumed high-speed ferry service between Toronto and Rochester was announced recently.

Newly rechristened The Cat, the overhauled catamaran - which was formerly known as The Breeze and The Spirit of Ontario - was to resume twice-daily crossings on the Victoria Day weekend. Instead, the 90 km/h, Australian-built vessel will begin sailing on June 17.

The delay is the result of a $2.8-million US engine overhaul undertaken in the Port of Rochester, where the vessel has been docked since last fall.

Northumberland Ferries Ltd., the Charlottetown-headquartered company that first introduced high-speed ferry service to North America, will be at the managerial helm of the troubled boat, says Don Cormier, vice-president of operations for Northumberland unit Bay Ferries Ltd.

Photo courtesy of Bay Ferries Ltd.
The catamaran The Cat will return to ferry service in June.

Cormier says the ferry is scheduled to head to drydock in Port Weller, St. Catharines on May 16 for refitting and inspection before taking on crew.

He says his company was awarded a three-year contract by the City of Rochester - which bought the boat for $32 million at a foreclosure auction in February - "because we've been in this industry since the early 1940s. So we bring a wealth of experience and a lot of infrastructure and synergies, as well as an excellent safety record."

The Rochester operation that Cormier is now in the process of setting up and staffing, Bay Ferries Great Lakes Ltd., will manage the Rochester Ferry Co., which is the limited liability entity that owns the ferry on behalf of the City of Rochester.

Cormier says Northumberland also manages, "at a macro level," high-speed ferry services between Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island; New Brunswick and Maine; Nova Scotia and Maine; and Trinidad and Tobago.

The name was changed to The Cat because "it's consistent with Northumberland's overall branding strategy, which has already gained widespread recognition," Cormier says.

The vessel, which is five storeys tall and can accommodate 774 passengers and 220 cars, sailed for only 11 weeks last summer. A string of debts, Customs red tape and hitches in projected revenue forced its predominantly Australian owner, Canadian American Transportation Systems, to suspend service. Burdened by $1.7 million in debts, the company ultimately filed for bankruptcy protection last September.

Although bookings on The Cat are not yet being accepted, Cormier says fares will be comparable to last year's rates, with similar discounts and incentives for groups and carloads of passengers. Originally, basic ticket prices started at $44 per person for one-way voyages but, by August, they had been dropped to $16.

Toronto's new ferry terminal at the foot of Cherry Street will be ready and waiting for The Cat's arrival June 17, a spokesperson for the Toronto Port Authority says.

(Terry Poulton can be reached at poulton@businessedge.ca)