Amherst Island residents have been waiting long enough for the return of the Wolfe Islander III, says Randy Hillier, MPP for Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox & Addington.

"One of the things I expect government to do is to manage their projects in a competent fashion," Hillier said. "I don’t think that is asking too much."

Out of service since April of this year, the 55-car Wolfe Islander III has been in Hamilton for its five-year inspection. In its absence, the 33-car Frontenac II has been filling in on the route from Kingston to Wolfe Island. The Frontenac II’s route between Millhaven and Stella on Amherst Island is being filled by the 18-car Quinte Loyalist.

Hillier admits the five-year inspection of the hull and keel in the dry dock is important because those parts of the vessel are underwater, but is critical of the delays in getting the fixes done.

"As we can see, they tried to ride on the coat tails of the hull inspection for a complete refurbishment of the wheelhouse," Hillier said. "Unlike the hull and keel, you can see the wheelhouse, and you can see what needs to be done there, and you can plan out the project.

"Here we are six months later, and they still haven’t been able to get the refurbishment of the wheelhouse done and they can’t give us a date now of when it is gong to be done."

As a former electrician and project manager, if a contractor told Hillier they didn’t know when their job would be done, it would be unacceptable.

"I’d throw him off the job and get another one," Hillier said. "There are things that can cause uncertainties and delays, but those things are unseen and unknown, but the wheelhouse is pretty exposed."

The delay also points to the economic hardships Ontario is facing, said Hillier, because Hamilton is the only Ontario dry dock left.

"This has caused significant hardship," Hillier said. "Because the (Frontenac II) is half the size, and people are missing health-care appointments with specialists. There are significant hardships getting to the mainland."

Hillier isn’t the only politician upset about the ferry’s delay.

"It’s totally unacceptable where people are waiting two or three hours in line for a ferry to get off the island," Denis Doyle, mayor of the Township of Frontenac Islands, said last Wednesday. "We’re all suffering, and what’s worse is they have no contingency plan if one of these ferries breaks down. We’d be stranded and have to declare an emergency."

Brandy Duhaime, communications officer with the Ministry of Transportation Eastern Region, said in a release MTO is continuing to monitor the work of the dry dock contractor.

"The ministry does recognize that this is the third delay in the Wolfe Islander III return to service and we know that these delays are very difficult for residents and businesses," Duhaime said in the release. "We do apologize for the impact this delay will have on ferry users."

Hillier said he asked the Ministry of Transportation deputy minister Carol Layton to lease another ferry to service the island in the Wolf Islander III’s absence.

"Why have they still not done that?" Hillier said. "These things are available, you don’t find them on every car lot, but there are brokerages that lease out vessels.

"So they didn’t do it originally, when it was delayed they still didn’t do it, (Layton) has assured me now that they will start looking for a lease vessel.

"But I wouldn’t hold my breath … not that they’re not available, but from what I’ve seen of (the provincial government’s) competence level, it’ll probably take them a year or two to get the proper paperwork together."

steph.crosier@sunmedia.ca

Twitter.com/StephattheWhig

-With files from Elliot Ferguson