Your article does an excellent job contextualizing and framing the issues, however isn’t it about time we look at the broader issue of Tourism? We have a world class resource that requires a regional (Maritime) approach that pools the budget, marketing and branding of the 3 provinces to focus on the 100 million Americans within driving distance. We need a concept. I suggest “The Privateers Trail” up the I-95 in Maine, through NB across confederation bridge, back to NS on the Pictou Ferry, around the Cabot trail- Louisbourg then back through NS to Halifax and ferry through Yarmouth back to New England. Every tourist provider along the trail would have to be approved, so they provide an excellent product. We develop a Maritime Code of Conduct:Give our visitors a good fair deal, treat them like valued guests, Ask what they want to see. Know what your region has to offer in many different areas. Offer them local experiences. Say thank you for their business.
We target the writers of journals that cater to motorcycle clubs, fly fisherman,RV magazines, Eco tourist with bird watching and whale watching, Scuba magazines with all our wrecks and sea coast and history to explore, target long gun shooters for woodcock grouse quail Highlight the united empire loyalist and the black migration from the US to the Maritimes No where north of the Carolina’s do they have so many warm water beaches, campgrounds, and surfing. Highlight our music festivals Celtic, Acadian blues Ann Murray and Hank Snow, Our historical sites like Louisburg, Port Royal, Halifax, Parrsboro fossils world heritage site, the Bay of Fundy tides & rafting Winery tours, Highland games, music festivals like Keltic colors.
If we promoted the region consistently with a unifying theme and a trail- our tourism industry worth billions could double. However the reality presently is that tourism traffic from NE has eroded steadily over the past 15years.
In 1999 over 130,000 visitors came from NE. By 2012 it was down to 55,900- a 57% decline. In 2013 it fell another 7%- again. We can do better then this. We have allot to offer, just not the confidence or imagination to make it happen. Tourism is an industry where you don’t need a “social license” to promote and grow. Too bad we do such a lousy job when we have so much to offer.
The NDP government displayed their incompetence many times including this “deal”. We will be paying for that incompetence for years to come.
Yes the Liberal government was dealt a bad hand. You do not become a winner by continuing to play those same cards. The Liberal government had plenty of time to reshuffle the deck and minimize the taxpayers losses. They have chosen to do nothing different; they have accepted the status quo. Not good enough! Maybe their competence levels are not much better than the NDP.
Is there any wonder we are drowning under the weight of our debt levels. $27 M FOR A “CRUISE” ship, $15 million for the teachers pension plan. . . . Thses things get a life of there own in NS. Remember our steel plant.
Thanks for your article today, I really enjoyed the points made.
The idea of “tourist” in Nova Scotia could use some polish. I moved back to N.S. seven years ago after living from coast-to-coast over twenty years due to my employment in Airport Management. My wife and I have made a point of “touring” old haunts and parts of the province we haven’t seen in years. We also take great pleasure in bragging up our province and being knowledgeable tour guides to many friends from across Canada who have made the point to visit. Many of our neighbours are surprised at these “vacations” and see vacations as only trips to Toronto or Disney World. Nova Scotia has a lot to offer in tourism… even to Nova Scotians and we’ve enjoyed all our “journeys”.
On our touring adventures, I am sometimes surprised at the hospitality industry and the general public who view me as a “local” and treat me differently (sometimes better, sometimes worse) than “tourists from away”. They look at my NS license plate and I’m automatically not a tourist.
We all have a lot of work to do but at least articles like yours open eyes sometimes
Thanks
Somewhere there should be a financial budget that was on the table when the portal call was issued. We were told that included $21 million over 7 years, 2014 to 2021. Then there was the financial budget that Nova Quest proposed. Now we have the ACTUAL for 10 months of 2014 . Now we need the revised budget for 2015 to 2021, to even start to decide the future .
Nova Quest says $10.5 million was a first year expense so that the balance of another $10.5 million is the real subsidy, based on this years sales . The question then is this : what is the break even sales figure ?
Room nights sold for the province outside HRM May to August were only up +3, -3,+4 and zero % so a max of 7,000 room nights for those 4 months at $100 equals $700,000 , so that generates a NS tax spin of 10% or $70,000 and that is only 3% of the $21 million , so at that rate it will take 33 years to recoup .
Many question the original call for proposals as many feel that all we needed was a good ferry like the NFLD Highlanders & Blue Putee rather than a cruise ship. It needs more time but at what cost and the key question is “why is NS paying for every dollar lost” ?
I have had some association with the Yarmouth-Bar Harbour ferry operation for quite a long period of time and can say that it was never really considered as a Money Maker. The “BLUENOSE” service came into being in the mid 1950’s and was part of CNRailway operations when rail passenger service operated Halifax-Yarmouth via south shore route and Dominion Atlantic ran trains through the. valley route.One of the things that brought it about was the building of the Canso Causeway.Prior to the,causeway the rail ferry “SCOTIA” operated Pirate Harbour to Point Tupper as part of CNR service.Once the,Causeway was put into service there was suddenly quite a number of mariners in CNR service who were excess to requirements.This fact led to some brain storming and some recall away back to when there had been a ferry operation out of Yarmouth..Thus the BLUENOSE operation got going in the mid 1950s.Many of the initial crewmembers came from the Strait region (McCauls, Crockers,McCulleys,Colliers and so on) I doubt very much that the operation in and off itself ever turned an actual profit.It operated year round and it was not especially uncommon to have empty or near empty runs during winter months, especially if no fish shipments were being made…Several other ships i.e.”Marine EVANGELINE” plied the service over the years but it is doubtful that producing an actual profit was ever the underlying force.During periods when “BLUENOSE” was out of service for refit etc, traffic usually diverted to the C.P.R. “Princess of Acadia” Digby-Saint John operation, which remains available. So, after such a lengthy tale, it all comes down to the apparent fact that if a service is wanted there someone has to pay for it and the and the only question remaining is WHO!!!
Your article does an excellent job contextualizing and framing the issues, however isn’t it about time we look at the broader issue of Tourism? We have a world class resource that requires a regional (Maritime) approach that pools the budget, marketing and branding of the 3 provinces to focus on the 100 million Americans within driving distance. We need a concept. I suggest “The Privateers Trail” up the I-95 in Maine, through NB across confederation bridge, back to NS on the Pictou Ferry, around the Cabot trail- Louisbourg then back through NS to Halifax and ferry through Yarmouth back to New England. Every tourist provider along the trail would have to be approved, so they provide an excellent product. We develop a Maritime Code of Conduct:Give our visitors a good fair deal, treat them like valued guests, Ask what they want to see. Know what your region has to offer in many different areas. Offer them local experiences. Say thank you for their business.
We target the writers of journals that cater to motorcycle clubs, fly fisherman,RV magazines, Eco tourist with bird watching and whale watching, Scuba magazines with all our wrecks and sea coast and history to explore, target long gun shooters for woodcock grouse quail Highlight the united empire loyalist and the black migration from the US to the Maritimes No where north of the Carolina’s do they have so many warm water beaches, campgrounds, and surfing. Highlight our music festivals Celtic, Acadian blues Ann Murray and Hank Snow, Our historical sites like Louisburg, Port Royal, Halifax, Parrsboro fossils world heritage site, the Bay of Fundy tides & rafting Winery tours, Highland games, music festivals like Keltic colors.
If we promoted the region consistently with a unifying theme and a trail- our tourism industry worth billions could double. However the reality presently is that tourism traffic from NE has eroded steadily over the past 15years.
In 1999 over 130,000 visitors came from NE. By 2012 it was down to 55,900- a 57% decline. In 2013 it fell another 7%- again. We can do better then this. We have allot to offer, just not the confidence or imagination to make it happen. Tourism is an industry where you don’t need a “social license” to promote and grow. Too bad we do such a lousy job when we have so much to offer.
Ron Chisholm | October 27, 2014 |
The NDP government displayed their incompetence many times including this “deal”. We will be paying for that incompetence for years to come.
Yes the Liberal government was dealt a bad hand. You do not become a winner by continuing to play those same cards. The Liberal government had plenty of time to reshuffle the deck and minimize the taxpayers losses. They have chosen to do nothing different; they have accepted the status quo. Not good enough! Maybe their competence levels are not much better than the NDP.
Is there any wonder we are drowning under the weight of our debt levels. $27 M FOR A “CRUISE” ship, $15 million for the teachers pension plan. . . . Thses things get a life of there own in NS. Remember our steel plant.
Barry H | October 26, 2014 |
Thanks for your article today, I really enjoyed the points made.
The idea of “tourist” in Nova Scotia could use some polish. I moved back to N.S. seven years ago after living from coast-to-coast over twenty years due to my employment in Airport Management. My wife and I have made a point of “touring” old haunts and parts of the province we haven’t seen in years. We also take great pleasure in bragging up our province and being knowledgeable tour guides to many friends from across Canada who have made the point to visit. Many of our neighbours are surprised at these “vacations” and see vacations as only trips to Toronto or Disney World. Nova Scotia has a lot to offer in tourism… even to Nova Scotians and we’ve enjoyed all our “journeys”.
On our touring adventures, I am sometimes surprised at the hospitality industry and the general public who view me as a “local” and treat me differently (sometimes better, sometimes worse) than “tourists from away”. They look at my NS license plate and I’m automatically not a tourist.
We all have a lot of work to do but at least articles like yours open eyes sometimes
Thanks
David | October 26, 2014 |
Fairy Tales about Ferry Sales
Where is Dr.Seuss when you need him
Bill F | October 24, 2014 |
Somewhere there should be a financial budget that was on the table when the portal call was issued. We were told that included $21 million over 7 years, 2014 to 2021. Then there was the financial budget that Nova Quest proposed. Now we have the ACTUAL for 10 months of 2014 . Now we need the revised budget for 2015 to 2021, to even start to decide the future .
Nova Quest says $10.5 million was a first year expense so that the balance of another $10.5 million is the real subsidy, based on this years sales . The question then is this : what is the break even sales figure ?
Room nights sold for the province outside HRM May to August were only up +3, -3,+4 and zero % so a max of 7,000 room nights for those 4 months at $100 equals $700,000 , so that generates a NS tax spin of 10% or $70,000 and that is only 3% of the $21 million , so at that rate it will take 33 years to recoup .
Many question the original call for proposals as many feel that all we needed was a good ferry like the NFLD Highlanders & Blue Putee rather than a cruise ship. It needs more time but at what cost and the key question is “why is NS paying for every dollar lost” ?
Peter S | October 24, 2014 |
I have had some association with the Yarmouth-Bar Harbour ferry operation for quite a long period of time and can say that it was never really considered as a Money Maker. The “BLUENOSE” service came into being in the mid 1950’s and was part of CNRailway operations when rail passenger service operated Halifax-Yarmouth via south shore route and Dominion Atlantic ran trains through the. valley route.One of the things that brought it about was the building of the Canso Causeway.Prior to the,causeway the rail ferry “SCOTIA” operated Pirate Harbour to Point Tupper as part of CNR service.Once the,Causeway was put into service there was suddenly quite a number of mariners in CNR service who were excess to requirements.This fact led to some brain storming and some recall away back to when there had been a ferry operation out of Yarmouth..Thus the BLUENOSE operation got going in the mid 1950s.Many of the initial crewmembers came from the Strait region (McCauls, Crockers,McCulleys,Colliers and so on) I doubt very much that the operation in and off itself ever turned an actual profit.It operated year round and it was not especially uncommon to have empty or near empty runs during winter months, especially if no fish shipments were being made…Several other ships i.e.”Marine EVANGELINE” plied the service over the years but it is doubtful that producing an actual profit was ever the underlying force.During periods when “BLUENOSE” was out of service for refit etc, traffic usually diverted to the C.P.R. “Princess of Acadia” Digby-Saint John operation, which remains available. So, after such a lengthy tale, it all comes down to the apparent fact that if a service is wanted there someone has to pay for it and the and the only question remaining is WHO!!!
bob mackenzie | October 24, 2014 |