PORTLAND, Maine — The province of Nova Scotia has given the Nova Star ferry another $1.5 million (Canadian) this week, bringing its total subsidy for the season to $11.1 million out of $13 million committed.
The latest disbursement to close out the season comes as a deadline Friday nears for any competing ferry service operators to turn in bids, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
The CBC reported Thursday that Transportation Minister Geoff MacLellan said the province has been in discussions with three other firms and that he’s confident they will submit bids by Friday.
The province has not yet decided who will operate the service in 2016. The Nova Star service has so far received $39.6 million in subsidies from the province to operate in its inaugural season and its second season this year.