Islanders and Eastporters have long missed the mailboat and many others that criss-crossed Friar Roads and Head Harbour Passage. Now that connection is coming back.
After a successful “dry run” on August 7, Captain George Harris of Eastport Windjammers will be carrying foot passengers between Eastport and Welshpool Landing. This means not only pleasure trips but new business for tourism operators on both sides of the border.
Eastporters want visitors and residents to be able to see the Roosevelt Campobello International Park, Head Harbour Lightstation, and other attractions – not by a long road trip but after a 15-minute scenic boat ride.
And people “over home,” whether island dwellers or tourists, like visiting the shops, galleries, and restaurants of Eastport’s historic downtown.
The plan is for trips on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. At the start, it’ll just be passengers traveling from Eastport to Welshpool. The boat will land around 11:00 Canadian time and pick up returning passengers a few hours later. From Welshpool Wharf, Campobello Sightseeing will offer tours of the Roosevelt Park and the island.
Once that routine gets going, Eastport Windjammers will also take passengers the other way, from Welshpool to America’s easternmost city.
Why did the cross-border boat traffic fade in the first place? A chief reason was stricter regulations after “9/11” – far more cumbersome on the water than for cars crossing the border.
Officials of the Canada Border Services Agency and Transport Canada have helped Eastport Windjammers and the Friars Bay Development Association work through the regulatory hoops.
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For information: Eastport Windjammers, 207-853-2500;
Campobello Sightseeing, 506-752-1901.
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