The MV Princess of Acadia

Marine Atlantic, its predecessor CN Marine, and pre-confederation Newfoundland coastal boats have a strong and proud history serving the people of Atlantic Canada through ferry terminals, passenger vessels and rail service.

In this week’s blog posting we highlight the MV Princess of Acadia which served the Digby, N.S.-Saint John, N.B. crossing from 1971-1997.

The first ship in Canada equipped to handle drop trailer traffic (trailers to be loaded and unloaded by staff and dropped off and picked up by different trucks on either side), the vessel could carry up to 650 passengers per crossing. With a vehicle deck three times the size of a hockey rink, the vessel was able to transport significant volumes of traffic. Many considered the design of the vessel very distinct and elegant, and Saturday night dinner and dances were held on board for several years in the 1970s that were popular amongst local residents and tourists alike.