OWEN SOUND—So far the vehicle traffic is up, while passenger numbers are down slightly, for the M.S. Chi-Cheemaun ferry service this year, compared to the same time of the sailing schedule in 2016.
Susan Schrempf, of the Owen Sound Transportation Company (OSTC), told the Recorder earlier this week, “as of the end of Monday we have carried 24,718 vehicles during the current sailing schedule, which is an increase of 118, or .49 percent over 2016 numbers at the same time.”
“We have had a total of 57,535 passengers, which is 692 or 1.22 percent less than at the same time in 2016,” said Ms. Schrempf.
Ms. Schrempf pointed out, “the Chi-Cheemaun has missed six round trips so far this sailing season and if they had not been cancelled we would see an increase in both vehicle and passenger numbers. The weather has not been all that good this year. But we would be doing very well if we had not missed those six round trips.”
“But, if we get hot, dry weather conditions in the next few weeks, we should be alright,” said Ms. Schrempf.
Ms. Schrempf explained, “we are not going to be concerned if we can’t have similar or close to the same numbers that we had last year. I don’t think we will see increases like we had the past two years with an eight percent increase in traffic each year.”
