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As town frustration mounts over the quality of the ferry service to Bois Blanc Island, so does the number of For Sale signs within the offshore Detroit River community.
The Town of Amherstburg has issued a notice to the island’s developer, Amico Affiliates, warning that legal action could be pursued if a more reliable ferry service is not provided soon.
“This is notice that we’re not happy,” said Mayor Michael Prue, who also resides on the island. “We’ve been frustrated in the town for quite some time.
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“Enough is enough.”
As a condition of developing the island — still known to many by its former name Boblo Island — the town said it secured two legal commitments to safeguard the community’s interests.
Ferry service must meet all requirements and safety standards set out by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and federal Transport Canada; be provided, at no cost, and available whenever required by the town for administrative, maintenance, and emergency purposes.
“The town has assessed that the developer is not meeting its legal obligations to the town with respect to these contractual duties,” the town said in a public statement on Monday.
“There may be additional legal obligations owed by the developer to which the town is not party, including obligations to the Boblo Island residents and property owners.”
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Amico owns and operates the Amherstburg Ferry Company, which is the island’s sole transportation link. The island’s main ferry, the Ste. Claire, has faced numerous issues over the years, most recently in January, when it was out of service for four days after heavy ice flows in the Detroit River damaged the vessel.
“Everybody understands that boats, cars, and mechanical equipment need repair from time-to-time and break down,” Prue previously told the Star. “Those of us who live on the island expect that, but what we don’t expect is that there is no provision for a second ferry.”
Demands for a backup ferry were raised by island residents in November 2023 when the service was unexpectedly paused for 14 days after routine maintenance. At the time, the back-up ferry, used during these routine checks, was shut down by Transport Canada.
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Another service disruption occurred in December 2022.
Typically, a smaller vessel acts as a backup when the main ferry is out of service. However, it has been unavailable since October 2023 due to an expired Transport Canada safety certificate, according to the town.
“It’s just not acceptable,” Prue told the Star. “When the other ferry goes down, for whatever reason, there’s nothing to back it up.
“It’s time to fix it.”
For Prue, these interruptions raise concerns about emergency access and the impact on residents who depend on the ferry for work, school, and propane to heat their homes.
“All the things the town needs to do — snow removal, road repair, water and sewage — can’t happen,” Prue said. “The developer has an obligation, not only to the residents who live there, but to himself, to ensure that there is a mode of transportation that people feel is reliable.”
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Peter Wiesner, who moved to Bois Blanc Island in 2023 after purchasing property in 2017, has grown increasingly frustrated with the island’s ferry service.
He said he has enjoyed the tranquility of island life, but the absence of a backup ferry has become a real issue.
“People are frustrated because this is a man-made problem,” Wiesner told the Star in an interview at his Bois Blanc home on Tuesday. “They need to step their game up and fix it.”
According to RE/MAX Preferred Realty Ltd. in Amherstburg, there are 16 active listings on the island, ranging from residential homes to vacant land, with prices spanning from $285,000 to over $3.5 million.
The island community has new roads along the south end of the island for about 220 dwellings to be built. With the completion of those 220 homes, there will be about 370 total homes on the island.
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“There’s been a couple of sales because people have been frustrated,” Wiesner said. “The people who are selling are the ones who actually have to get off the island and go to work.
“They’re frustrated.”
Bois Blanc was Boblo Island when it hosted an amusement park for almost 100 years, between 1898 and 1993. Some of the buildings from that amusement park era remain intact on the island, including a dance hall and a theatre. But there are even older historic structures on the island, including a War of 1812 blockhouse, restored in 2012, and a lighthouse managed by Parks Canada.
Cindy Prince, vice-president of development for Amico Properties, did not respond to the Star’s request for comment.
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Amherstburg council directed that the developer be formally apprised of the town’s interests and its legal position to require the developer to outline the immediate steps to rectify this situation.
“The town understands the importance of safe and reliable ferry service for the residents of Boblo Island and other members of the Amherstburg community,” the town said in a statement.
“The town is committed to ensuring that the developer meets its obligations in a timely and co-operative fashion.”
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