There is a magic to that ol’ eleventh hour – crisis looming, clock ticking down and all that.

Just when it seems the wheels of negotiations have ground to such a halt that no force on Earth could possibly start them moving again, just when there is utter and universal certainty that no mere mortal could ever scry a solution, then, as the clock hand wavers and begins to tick that last tock, the air is suddenly sprinkled with the magic dust of “now or never�, the hose of “get’er done� is opened wide and all our problems vanish while even the memory of the urgency that so recently consumed us is washed away.

In the case of the recent ferry deal, it is paramount to remember that government has only bought a breathing space, a postponement and not a solution.

In two year’s time, if nothing else changes, we’ll be right back where we started in June.

This time no one will be able to pretend they didn’t see it coming. Stamped on every dollar the government is handing over should be the words: expires in two years.

Two years is barely time to work on the various challenges facing the service.

Traffic on the ferry needs to be increased and a good first step is to sit down and consult with the big users – seafood shippers, forestry and tourism representatives.

Everything should be on the table but primarily the people using the traffic will surely have some suggestions about scheduling and service.

There needs to be a look at the focus of tourism marketing that encourages or at least includes the western end of the province.

The government needs to take a long hard look at who will be running the Digby – Saint John service in the future. Frank questions need to be asked like: Is this a service Bay Ferries wants to operate? Are there other companies capable and willing to operate this service?

The government needs to also look closely at the boat, especially considering changing transportation regulations and ever-rising fuel prices.

None of these decisions should be made under pressure at the next eleventh hour.

The people and communities on both sides of the Bay of Fundy deserve a highway, a transportation link, just like another group of people in Canada.

If government is serious about a long-term solution, they will be serious about starting to work on it now.

After Christmas is too late, we can’t afford even to wait until after Remembrance Day.

So reset those clocks, wind’em up good and tight, and keep a close eye on them. The next two years are going to fly by.



jriley@digbycourier.ca