Marine Atlantic has cancelled all scheduled ferry sailings between Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and Labrador, and North Sydney, Nova Scotia for the evening of September 18 after Environment Canada issued gale-force wind warnings for the Cabot Strait. Company spokesperson Darrell Mercer said the decision was taken after updated forecasts showed sustained winds over 80 km/h and wave heights exceeding five metres at the height of the crossing. The Argentia–North Sydney seasonal service, which was due to depart later tonight, is also suspended. The closures strand hundreds of motorists, truck drivers and tourists at both terminals during one of the last busy weekends of the summer travel season. Mercer noted that commercial traffic—including refrigerated trucks carrying perishables and “just-in-time” auto parts—will receive priority once operations resume. Extra sailings are being planned to clear the backlog “within the next three crossings,” provided conditions improve by Saturday night. Marine Atlantic operates the federally mandated ferry link that connects Newfoundland’s highway network to mainland Canada. The route is a critical supply chain artery for Atlantic Canada’s fishing, aquaculture and oil-and-gas sectors, as well as for e-commerce deliveries. Previous weather-related shutdowns have cost local exporters millions in spoilage penalties and overtime trucking costs. Travellers with flexible tickets have been advised to rebook online or through the call centre. Business travellers should check contractual delivery timelines and consider alternative routings via air cargo; however, Air Canada Cargo has warned that belly-hold capacity out of St. John’s is already constrained this week. Employers with time-sensitive assignments in Newfoundland are urged to monitor Marine Atlantic’s alert page and build contingency time into itineraries, as fall storms typically increase in frequency through October. The incident underscores the vulnerability of Atlantic Canada’s inter-provincial mobility infrastructure to extreme weather. Ottawa’s 2025 National Supply-Chain Strategy identified establishing a permanent weather-resilient berth in Sydney Harbour and exploring ice-class vessels as priority projects, but funding has yet to be allocated. Until then, shippers and travellers will continue to rely on short-notice operational decisions such as today’s cancellation.
Source: VOCM News
