"That's on the minister": MPP on Monday's suspension of Wolfe Island ferry

Residents were stranded after the Wolfe Island ferry service was shut down due to a crew shortage.

While many Kingstonians spent Monday night (27th) watching Game 3 of the World Series, others had to scramble for accommodations after finding themselves stranded on Wolfe Island and vice versa.

The Ministry of Transportation posted on X that afternoon that the Wolfe Islander IV ferry service would end after 7 pm due to a crew shortage. That announcement came around 5:30 pm, 90 minutes before the last trip was set to sail.

People who missed the last ferry had to wait until 5 am the next day to get on the next one.

Kingston and the Islands MPP Ted Hsu says he went up to Transportation Minister Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria directly in the legislature the next day.

He is putting the blame squarely on the minister.

Hsu says the crew shortage is largely due to people leaving for the private sector. 

He believes better wages and better training for workers are a couple of ways to address the issue of crew shortages.

This is the latest in the ongoing issues with the Wolfe Island ferry service. There had been service disruptions because of mechanical issues with the ferry. That has also led to service being diverted to the port at Dawson Point which is 15 minutes away from the Marysville dock.

Hsu says this has affected those living and working on Wolfe Island to the point where people are moving away from the island.

Hsu says he will continue to press Sakaria and the ministry to make improvements to the ferry service to ensure no one gets stranded again.

Story by Ken Hashizume