Despite living on an island in the middle of a giant river, many people in Montreal rarely get on the water.
That may change as a pilot project was unveiled this week to run a ferry service from Old Montreal to Pointe aux Trembles.
With some funding from the borough of Rivere des Prairies-Pointe aux Trembles, Navark began test runs Monday morning of a 50-seat ferry from the Jacques Cartier Quay at the Old Port to a pier off St. Jean Baptiste St. at the eastern tip of the island, running from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Tickets are $3.25 each way, with an extra 75 cent fee for those carrying a bicycle aboard.
Each trip begins with a safety announcement pointing out where to find life jackets in the event of a problem.
One commuter said the 25-minute trip was much faster and much more enjoyable than taking the bus.
RDP-PAT borough mayor Chantal Rouleau said she was very happy to hear the good reviews from commuters.
"We have to find other solutions to transport the people and that is a real good solution. and people have a smile when they go on the boat and when they get out of the boat," said Rouleau.
"This morning at 7 when we arrived at the Old Port they applauded because they were so happy."
During the summer the same company runs ferries from Longueuil to Ile Charron, near Highway 25, and between Valleyfield and Les Coteaux.
Navark President Normand Noel estimated the ferry could be used for up to 10 months out of the year and that he's negotiating to bring poilot projects to other communities, including the South Shore.
"We have nice examples in the world," he said. "If you go to New York, Vancouver, Chicago, everywhere you have nice examples that these commuter services work really well."
The pilot project in Montreal will run until Friday June 1, at which point officials will decide if it is feasible to continue.
