By Canadian Press

Halifax selling old harbour ferry connecting downtown to Dartmouth

Dec 8, 2016 | 10:30 AM

HALIFAX — A charming blue-and-white ferry that long offered commuters the scenic route to work across Halifax Harbour will go to the highest bidder.

“So many people have enjoyed their peaceful, calm trip between Halifax and Dartmouth on this ferry,” city spokeswoman Tiffany Chase said of the Dartmouth III, which was decommissioned in July.

“It’s quite likely that this vessel transported tens of thousands passengers, if not more, over its life cycle, but its life cycle has come to an end.”

The 38-year-old ferry is to be sold through auction, with a $150,000 starting price.

The double-ended diesel ferry was posted on Kijiji by Gov Deals — which sells surplus and confiscated items for government agencies — and garnered more than 12,500 views by Thursday.

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The Dartmouth III has two levels, with indoor and outdoor seating for up to 390 people and an elevated wheelhouse.

It is part of an historic ferry service that dates back to the mid-1700s. Before the construction of the Macdonald Bridge in 1955, the ferry was the only efficient way to travel between downtown Halifax and Dartmouth.

Halifax is one of two cities in Canada that operate a ferry service as part of public transportation, said Chase. Passengers taking the two-kilometre, seven-minute hop across the harbour enjoy spectacular views of the city’s downtown skyline.

Chase said revenue from the sale of the vessel will be put into a savings account dedicated to transit and will likely go towards buying new buses or ferries in the future.

The 23-metre ferry’s batteries need to be replaced, and it has more than 13,400 engine hours since its last rebuild, but there is no notable damage, the listing said.

The GovDeals website says the starting bid for the Dartmouth III is $150,000 and the auction closes Jan. 9.

Halifax Transit has purchased three new ferry vessels since 2014 for a service that carries about two million passengers per year.

Follow (at)AlyThomson on Twitter.

Aly Thomson, The Canadian Press

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