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Deputy Mayor Townend has released the following statement to advise residents that the Township will be meeting with the Minister of Transportation, The Hon. Mr. Prabmeet Sarkaria MPP at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference next week.

Dear Residents,

As part of Loyalist Township’s ongoing efforts to communicate information about the status of the Amherst Islander II, I want to share that the Township will be meeting with the Minister of Transportation Mr. Prabmeet Sarkaria MPP at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference in Toronto early next week. There are two particular issues that Loyalist wants to bring to the Minister’s attention and receive support for.

The first issue is to receive support to appoint Helm Management Services (HELM) as the project manager responsible for commissioning the Amherst Islander II. This request follows the Township’s delegation to former Minister Caroline Mulroney in August of 2023, where Loyalist identified the need for external support and project management to see everything through to completion. At that time, the ministry agreed to the Township’s request to hire an external consultant specializing in the marine sector (Helm) to assess and recommend a way forward. One of their key recommendations was to appoint a project manager. Having recently completed an assessment of what is needed to commission the Amherst Islander II, Loyalist considers Helm is best placed to fulfill the role of project manager and get the Amherst Islander II in service at the earliest opportunity.

The second issue is to receive support for the ongoing work by Loyalist and MTO to seek a deferral of the dry dock maintenance of the Frontenac II. As many of you are aware the Frontenac II is due to undergo maintenance on April 7, 2024, as per Transport Canada regulations. Realistically speaking, it is important that an extension be sought so that, in the event the Amherst Islander II is not fully in service by that date, there is a backup plan in place for an auxiliary vessel. Furthermore, it is anticipated that the Frontenac II will still be required to ensure uninterrupted provision of ferry service to Amherst Island while training on the Amherst Islander II takes place. Ultimately, Loyalist wants to ensure that the commissioning of the Amherst Islander II happens safely and that our crews receive thorough training so that they can confidently operate the new vessel. Extending the operation of the Frontenac II will also minimise any potential service disruption for residents as the new vessel begins its career.

Again, I encourage residents to contact me directly if there are questions or concerns related to this update, and please stay tuned for further updates as we go forward.

Yours in service,

Nathan Townend