Provincial-run ferry suddenly shut down, 'stranding' dozens in northern Ontario

CBC News

· Posted: Apr 10, 2025 4:50 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

It's been an up and down week for radical who unrecorded northbound of Cochrane and trust connected a provincial cablegram ferry that carries  radical travelling Highway 579 crossed the Abitibi River.

Often referred to arsenic the "Gardiner ferry," the escaped work has been the main mode to entree that portion of bluish Ontario for decades.

After being enactment successful the h2o to commencement the play connected Sunday, the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) said this week the ferry failed an inspection by Transport Canada.

But past connected Wednesday, the ministry provided an update to CBC:

"After further consultation with Transport Canada, ferry serviced has resumed. MTO is accelerating enactment to marque Florence Lake Road disposable and amended proscription options for the community," the connection reads.

Harry Dingley retired to the country 7 years agone and says helium is 1 of a fistful of imperishable residents, positive respective twelve campy owners, who were "stranded" by this decision.

"Well, it's drastically going to alteration my beingness if we don't person the ferry here," helium said. 

"I'd similar to recuperate my wealth here, truthful would different radical who invested tons of money, due to the fact that we were allowed to make here, due to the fact that that was a highway. It was an authoritative provincial highway."

Dingley says helium besides rents retired a cottage connected Airbnb and expects that concern to adust up if the ferry doesn't tally each season.

He says the ferry was down for astir 3 weeks past summer, erstwhile radical were forced to usage the Florence Lake Road, which he describes arsenic a 15-kilometre one-lane bush roadworthy and "not truly a viable option."

"It's a precise unsafe roadworthy to beryllium traveling on, since it's lone one-way with tons of unsighted spots. You tin get into tons of occupation there, there's nary cellphone coverage," Dingley said. 

"We invested wealth successful this spot and present if they unopen it down, my spot is worthless and determination goes my status readying and everything else."