‘Not acceptable’ — Amherstburg issues Boblo Island ferry warning

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As the town’s frustration is on the quality of ferry service to Bois Blanc Island, so is the number of signs for sale in the Detroit River community.

Amersburg Town has issued a notice from the Amico branch of the island’s developer, warning that legal action can be taken if more reliable ferry services are not provided soon.

“It caught the attention of people,” said Mayor Michael Prue, who also lives on the island. “We were frustrated in town for a while.

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“Enough.”

As a condition for the development of the island – many people previously known as Boblo Island – the town said it secured two legal commitments to protect the interests of the community.

Ferry services must comply with all requirements and safety standards set by the Ontario Department of Transport and the Federal Department of Transport Canada; are available for free and provide administrative, maintenance and emergency purposes where required by the town.

“The town assessed the developer’s failure to fulfill its legal obligations to the town in terms of these contractual obligations,” the town said in a public statement on Monday.

“The developer may also have to pay other legal obligations, and the town is not a political party, including obligations to the residents and property owners of Boblo Island.”

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Amico owns and operates Amherstburg Ferry Company, the only transportation link to the island. The main ferry of the island, Ste. Claire has had many problems over the years, most recently in January, when heavy ice in the Detroit River damaged the ship for four days.

Prue previously told Star that everyone knows that ships, cars and mechanical equipment need to be repaired and broken down from time to time. “Those of us who live on the island expect this, but what we don’t expect is that there is no provision for a second ferry. ”

Islanders raised demand for backup ferries in November 2023, when the service was unexpectedly suspended for 14 days after routine maintenance. At that time, the backup ferry used by Canadian transport during these routine inspections was closed.

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Another service outage occurred in December 2022.

Usually, smaller vessels can be used as backup when the main ferry is discontinued. However, due to the expiration of the Canadian Shipping Safety Certificate, it has been unavailable since October 2023.

“This is unacceptable,” Prue told the Star. “When another ferry fell, there was no support for whatever reason.

“It’s time to fix it.”

For Prue, these disruptions have raised concerns about emergency access and the impact on residents who rely on ferries, schools and propane-heated houses.

“All things the town needs to do – Snowfall, road repair, water and sewage – Pru said. The developer has an obligation, not only to the resident who lives there, but to himself, to ensure that people feel that people think is reliable. ”

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Peter Wiesner moved to Bois Blanc Island in 2023 after buying real estate in 2017, and he is getting increasingly frustrated with the island’s ferry service.

He said he enjoyed the tranquility of island life, but the lack of a backup ferry has become a real problem.

“People are frustrated because it’s a man-made issue,” Wiesner told the Star in an interview on Tuesday at Bois Blanc Home. “They need to step up the game and fix it.”

According to Amherstburg’s Re/Max Preferred Realty Ltd., there are 16 active lists on the island, ranging from residential to vacant land, with prices ranging from $285,000 to over $3.5 million.

The island community has new roads at the southern end of the island, allowing about 220 homes to be built. With the completion of these 220 homes, there will be about 370 homes on the island.

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“Because people are frustrated, there are several sales,” Wisner said. “The sales people actually have to leave the island to go to work.

“They are very upset.”

Bois Blanc held an amusement park for nearly 100 years between 1898 and 1993, then Boblo Island. Certain buildings on the island remain unchanged on the island, including dance halls and theaters. However, there are even older historic buildings on the island, including the 1,812 wars that were restored in 2012, and a lighthouse managed by Parks Canada.

Cindy Prince, vice president of Amico Properties Development, did not respond to Star’s request for comment.

The Amhersburg Commission directed the developers to be formally informed of the town’s interests and their legal positions, asking developers to outline recent steps to correct the situation.

“The town understands the importance of safe and reliable ferry services to residents of Boblo Island and other members of the Amherstburg community,” the town said in a statement.

“The town is committed to ensuring that developers fulfill their obligations in a timely and collaborative manner.”

mholmeshill@postmedia.com

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