Saturday, September 7, 2024 
Saturday, September 7, 2024
April 6, 2020
Maybe the time has come to stop arguing and start digging.
In the middle of a global crisis, and with Newfoundlanders worried about food and other goods, the island’s supply chain was once again cut off.
The Marine Atlantic ferry crossings have been cancelled a number of times due to weather, and the terminals in Port aux Basques and North Sydney have both been closed after already being on limited capacity due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
If there has ever been a time to accept that the island needs a more reliable link to mainland Canada, this is it.
Newfoundland’s dependence on shipping, particularly the Marine Atlantic ferry service, for much of its imports and passenger traffic has been a glaring vulnerability for too long.
Increasingly intense storms in recent years have proved how beholden the island is to the ferries — and how jeopardized the security and safety of every Newfoundlander is when the boats don’t run for days on end.
This has never been more true than right now during this pandemic.
How can residents of the island continue to be OK with such an inconstant link in its supply chain – especially when a much more dependable option is possible?
It’s time to seriously look at building an undersea tunnel.
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