Work appears to be underway on the CNM Evolution. At least, there is action around the ship which is staying along Route 132 in Grand-Métis. Could the boat return to service?
Le Journal Le Soir.ca contacted the president and CEO of SOPER, Marina Soubirou, who is not aware of any work on the CNM Evolution.
“We are currently working with a developer whom we support in the implementation of his crossing project. Our role at SOPER is to facilitate the link between the different stakeholders involved (promoter, government, ports, municipalities, etc.) to re-establish the link as quickly as possible. We therefore collaborate with the Forestville territory within the Rimouski-Forestville Maritime Liaison Corporation,” explains Ms. Soubirou.
Last May, the mayor of Rimouski and president of SOPER, Guy Caron, told Journal Le Soir.ca that the main challenge was to find a boat and not to find a promoter interested in operating the ferry service.
Discussions for an acquisition
Before his death, the late ship owner, Hilaire Journault, had mentioned that he was having discussions for an acquisition of the CNM Evolution by a possible operator.
“The problem is not so much finding an operator. It’s really about finding the right ship whose acquisition will help not generate an operating deficit. This is really the big challenge. For now, we are working on this. It is truly my dearest wish that we can reach an agreement with an operator to offer a viable and reliable service between the two shores,” specified Mr. Caron.
Out of service for three years
The Rimouski-Forestville Traverse was stopped for a 3e consecutive summer.
Dissatisfied with the service offered by the CNM Evolution, SOPER and the Forestville Economy and Development Society launched a call for interest, in February 2022, to find a shipowner and set up a non-profit corporation for a new service which we hoped to launch in April of the same year, but this was not the case.
