The mayor of Yarmouth says the day the ferry service returns to her town will be a great event. Pam Mood says the loss of the service four years ago has devastated the region and its going to take a lot to repair the damage.The International Ferry Partnership and local municipalities have kicked-in money to hire a promoter to spear-head upgrades to the Yarmouth ferry terminal. Federal dollars will be sought for the project. Meanwhile, a company in the United States says it has an agreement to lease a vessel and start a Yarmouth to Maine service beginning this summer if it is awarded a contract. Quest Navigation Inc. of Eliot, Maine is one of two companies proposing to operate the service between Maine and Nova Scotia. Quest officials say the vessel has 162 cabins, two restaurants and capacity for more than 1,200 passengers. The other company, Baltimore-based Maritime Applied Physics Corp., is an engineering firm that specializes in designing electro-mechanical systems for harsh environments. The ferry's former operator, Bay Ferries Limited, announced in December 2009 that it would cancel the money-losing service after the government said it could no longer provide an annual $6-million subsidy. The Nova Scotia government issued a request for proposals in December for an operator of the ferry service. A decision is expected in a few weeks.
