ST. JOHN’S (June 4) – Government officials here are appealing to Ottawa to help pay for ways to improve capacity on the beleaguered Gulf ferry service.

“The province agrees that in the short-term the Atlantic Freighter must be replaced in order to resolve the immediate capacity problems,” said Tourism, Culture, and Recreation Minister Charles Furey. “In the long-term, a Gulf ferry service that will meet all the needs of Newfoundland and Labrador for the next 50 years of Confederation will need to be put in place. … As with any other business there comes a point when you must expand to meet the demand of your customers and that time has come for the Gulf ferry service.”

Provincial government officials plan to meet with federal Transport Minister David Collenette, who is responsible for Marine Atlantic, and with Marine Atlantic’s Board of Directors to discuss capacity issues.

High on the agenda for the meetings will a replacement vessel for the Atlantic Freighter, which the province claims is inadequate to meet the needs of truckers and travellers. The ministers say they want Ottawa to provide a multi-purpose vessel that can handle freight demands while also providing quality supplemental service for up to 500 passengers — one that can provide a more timely and efficient level of service on a year-round basis.

Meantime, the provincial government will hold five public meetings to discuss the ferries issue starting in mid-September. Meetings will take place in St. John’s, Placentia, Grand Falls-Windsor, Corner Brook, and Port aux Basques.

Government is also asking individuals who may not be able to attend the public meetings to forward their comments by calling toll-free 1-800-563-NFLD or Internet users can comment by going to the Comments or Inquiries section of the government’s home page: