Black Tickle, N.L. - The Department of Transportation and works is getting ready to send of a request for proposal for a boat plane service for the community of Black Tickle.
The small aircraft will act as a bi-weekly ferry, delivering passengers to and from Black Tickle every second Saturday. Right now, the Kamutik W ship is scheduled to arrive in Black Tickle bi-weekly. The plan is for the boat plane to arrive in Black Tickle every opposite Saturday as the ship.
Passengers on the boat plane will be offered the same rates as ferry passengers. The regular rate to fly from Black Tickle to Goose Bay is $58.50. A senior can fly the same route for just $40.
If someone wanted to fly from Black Tickle to cartwright, it’s even cheaper.
“If you’re a kid that wants to go to Cartwright to work in the plant for the summer; If you get on the plane on a Saturday, it’s $11.55. Children under five pays nothing,” said Cartwright – L'Anse au Clair MHA Lisa Dempster.
Adults would only pay $16.50 to fly to Cartwright.
Dempster is hoping these flights will help boost the economy and job opportunities for those living in Black Tickle.
“We want to help…If someone from Black Tickle is working in Cartwright this summer and every couple of weekends they want to go home for a couple of days, that’s the rate and we want to help boost the economy,” said Dempster.
Dempster says the provincial government is subsidizing the fares at a 98 per cent rate.
“It’s probably the highest rate in this province,” said Dempster.
The southern Labrador MHA knows that there will be some naysayers out there over having this service for such a small town.
“Sometimes you get people saying, ‘it’s 100 people on an island, this is expensive’,” said Dempster.
Dempster said the government is hoping to get the RFP out in time so flights can begin on August 3.
