Halifax Transit has officially welcomed the Rita Joe as the newest vessel in its fleet of Halifax Harbour ferries.

The multi-year ferry replacement program brings continued reliability and increased efficiency to Halifax Transit’s harbour ferry service and provides an enhanced experience to both residents and visitors.

The Rita Joe is the second replacement vessel to receive federal funding from Infrastructure Canada. In total, the Government of Canada will contribute $6,035,000 to the replacement of the final two Halifax Transit ferries, with matching funds from the Halifax Regional Municipality.

“The Government of Canada understands that smart investments in efficient transportation infrastructure are important for growing the economy, and helping Canadians spend more time with their families and less time commuting,” said Darren Fisher, Member of Parliament for Dartmouth-Cole Harbour, on behalf of the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities. “The Dartmouth Ferry is both the best cruise in town, and a reliable transit option for Dartmouth-Cole Harbour commuters and visitors. The completion of the Halifax Transit Ferry Replacement Project will ensure that the oldest saltwater ferry in North America continues to bring passengers across our beautiful harbour safely and efficiently.”

The municipality hosted a ferry-naming contest in spring 2017 and with more than 11,000 votes, Rita Joe and Vincent Coleman were selected. Previous ferry-naming contest winners were Viola Desmond (2016), Craig Blake (2015) and Christopher Stannix (2014).

Rita Joe was Mi’kmaq author, poet, and songwriter from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. She is a member of the Order of Canada, was called to the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, and has received multiple honorary doctorates from Canadian universities.

“We have honoured war heroes, civil rights activist Viola Desmond and now, Rita Joe, affectionately known as the poet laureate of the Mi’kmaq People,” said Mayor Mike Savage. “I’m proud that our community continues to choose ferry names that respect our diverse culture and heritage.

The Rita Joe is the fifth new addition to the Halifax Transit ferry fleet, marking the final replacement vessel.

“This marks an important milestone for Halifax Transit, as this is the final replacement vessel for our long-serving ferry fleet,” said Dave Reage, Director of Halifax Transit. “This investment will continue to help improve service reliability, and encourage residents and visitors to use public transit for decades to come.”

The harbour ferry service has been in operation for over 260 years and carries approximately 1.7 million passengers each year on two routes that operate from Halifax to Alderney and Halifax to Woodside.

“Public transit is vital infrastructure for large urban centres,” said Public Service Commission Minister Tony Ince, on behalf of Municipal Affairs Minister Chuck Porter. “I applaud the Halifax Regional Municipality and Halifax Transit for their ongoing efforts to improve their transit system.”

For more information, please visit the Halifax Transit website.