About Northumberland Ferries Limited

The History

For over 80 years, Northumberland Ferries has been connecting travellers to the red coastal cliffs and fishing villages of Wood Islands Harbour in Queens County, Prince Edward Island, and the sandy, Celtic shores of Caribou Harbour in Pictou County, Nova Scotia. Established in 1941 by the Government of Canada to replace a steamship service between Georgetown and Pictou, the interprovincial seasonal ferry service operates two vessels, mv Confederation—built-in 1993 for Northumberland Ferries Limited (NFL) by Pictou Industries Limited—and mv Holiday Island, a former Marine Atlantic vessel built-in 1971 for the now-closed Cape Tormentine, New Brunswick to Borden-Carleton, PEI ferry passage that was replaced by the Confederation Bridge 1997.

A traditional passage for tourists and locals alike, Northumberland Ferries voyages across the Northumberland Strait bring passengers—and their vehicles—on unforgettable Seaside Experiences with an onboard showcase of the finest music, entertainment, food, wine, and beer samplings the Maritimes have to offer.

Our Ferries

• Two conventional ferries:
  mv CONFEDERATION
  mv HOLIDAY ISLAND
• Service speed approximately 14 knots
• Route — 75 minutes
• Up to 9 departures per day (peak season) from each port
• Save Driving up to 100 km to Halifax and 300 km to eastern Nova Scotian destinations

mv Confederation

• Builder: Pictou Industries Ltd. – Pictou, NS
• Class Society: Lloyd’s Registry
• Length Overall: 114.2m
• Beam Overall: 18.77m
• Draft: 4.439m
• Speed: 18 knots
• Gross Tonnage: 8060
• Net Tonnage: 5997
• Passenger Capacity: 600
• Vehicle Capacity: 220
• Propulsion: Oil Engines, Geared Drive
• Engines: Oil
• Air Conditioning: Yes
• Evacuation: MEC
• Crew Compliment: 18

mv Holiday Island

• Builder: Port Weller Drydock – Port Weller, Ontario
• Class Society: Lloyd’s Registry
• Length Overall: 99.06 m
• Draft: 5.00 m
• Speed: 12 knots
• Gross Tonnage: 3037
• Net Tonnage: 1593
• Maximum Total Persons On Board: 399
• Vehicle Capacity: 155
• Propulsion: Oil Engines, Geared Drive
• Engines: Oil
• Air Conditioning: No
• Evacuation: Davit launch lifeboats and liferafts
• Crew Compliment: 22