SOURIS — The startup of the spring CTMA ferry season Tuesday brought both joy and sorrow to the people of Souris, who were pleased to have the ferry back in operation but shared in the loss of their fellow seamen from the Iles-de-la-Madeleine. Four sealers from the neighbouring islands died when their fishing boat capsized while under tow last weekend. The ferry from the Iles-de- la-Madeleine was on its first run of the 2008 season Tuesday but was late arriving after it ran into heavy ice about nine miles off East Point. Because it is a modified icebreaker it was able to slog its way slowly through the ice-packed, fog-shrouded April sea. Souris Mayor Joanne Reid was at the terminal in Souris when the ferry arrived, where she presented a bouquet of flowers to Captain Bernard Langford, along with a two-fold message from her council and the people of Souris.

Souris Mayor Joanne Reid met CTMA Ferry Capt. Bernard Langford Tuesday with a bouquet of flowers that said both welcome back and expressed the town’s sorrow over the loss of four Iles-de-la-Madeleine sealers last weekend. Guardian photo by Nancy Willis

“These flowers are both a welcome back to the ferry, and a message from the town of Souris to the people of the Iles-de-la-Madeleine and the families of the crew of the L’Acadien II, that we are so very sorry for their loss,’’ said Reid.

The mayor said Souris is dedicated to strengthening the relationship between the two islands.

“The Iles-de-la-Madeleine are a huge benefit and bonus to Souris. We are close neighbours, but haven’t been in as close communication as we should be, and we want to change that and create a real union between the two,’’ she said.

Reid will be travelling to the Islands in May, and Iles- de-la-Madeliene Mayor Joel Arseneau was supposed to come to Souris this week, but his visit was cancelled because of the tragedy.

Councillor Christina Whyatt, chair of the town’s tourism committee, was also at the wharf to welcome Langford.

CTMA terminal manager Steven Comeau said the ferry begins its spring schedule with a crossing once a day, every day but Mondays until the first of July when it will again include Monday in its schedule.

by Nancy Willis of
The Guardian
April 2, 2008

Copyright
Waldron H. Leard