Hon. Lionel Chevrier (Minister of Transport):

In November, 1950, Mr. Speaker, I made an announcement that the lack of steel had made it necessary for the government to suspend temporarily construction of the proposed Yarmouth-Bar Harbor ferry. Today I am happy to inform the house that the government has reviewed the situation with respect to availability of scarce materials and, on the advice of the Canadian maritime commission, and after consultation with the premier of Nova Scotia has agreed that tenders should now be invited for the construction of the vessel.

I should like to remind the house that the Yarmouth-Bar Harbor ferry project is not only a federal-provincial project, it is an international project including as it does the construction of approaches, causeway, pierhead and terminal facilities by the state of Maine and the town of Bar Harbor. I am happy to say that the Maine legislature has passed, and the governor has signed, the legislative bill relating to this work.

May I say a word or two about the ship itself? The vessel will have an over-all length of 348 feet; breadth at main deck 65 feet; car capacity 150 automobiles; total passengers carried 600. There are two car decks, the lower car deck having head clearance for long-distance refrigerated trailer trucks and buses. The service speed of the vessel will be approximately 18J knots. A notable feature of the vessel's construction is that it will be equipped with a Denny-Brown stabilizer which has the effect of minimizing vesselrolling during rough weather. In the summer tourist season the ship is scheduled to make the round-trip voyage in daylight hours. Our Nova Scotia members can readily appreciate the value of such a unit.

While initially the ferry will be dependent on summer tourist traffic, the real justification for the vessel is the hope that having furnished this new gateway there will develop a commercial business by truck which will bring the produce of Nova Scotia to the markets of the United States and vice

versa. The ship, in reality, will be a continuation of the highway between Maine and Nova Scotia, along which will flow countless automobiles with passengers anxious to visit and admire the beauties of Nova Scotia and of the New England coast line.

I think that in fairness, Mr. Speaker, I should add that the hon. member for Digby-Yarmouth (Mr. Kirk) has been pressing me for a statement on this subject for the last two days. I have suggested to him that he not ask a question in the house concerning it because I hoped to be able to make a statement. I am sorry it was not possible to do so before this morning.

Mr. Balcom:

Will the minister permit a question?

Mr. Chevrier:

Yes.

Mr. Balcom:

I might say, Mr. Speaker, that this is going to be a source of great satisfaction- to the people of Nova Scotia-

Order. Question.

Mr. Balcom:

-and the Annapolis valley as well. When is it expected this ship will be put into operation, and is there going to be refrigeration accommodation?

Mr. Chevrier:

The statement I have just made refers to the refrigeration which will be in the ship. It is expected to have it in operation some time in 1953.

Mr. Balcom:

I presume that, in so far as possible, architects and engineers from Nova Scotia will be employed?

Mr. Chevrier:

I must say that the plans are ready now.

Mr. Howard C. Green (Vancouver-Quadra):

Mr. Speaker, apparently there is grave concern among the strawberry growers on the lower mainland of British Columbia over the possibility of the importation of strawberries

Inquiries of the Ministry or strawberry pulp from Holland. Can the Minister of Agriculture give the house a statement on this question now or later today?

Right Hon. J. G. Gardiner (Minister of Agriculture):

The hon. member for Fraser Valley (Mr. Cruickshank) as well as the hon. member for Vancouver-Quadra telephoned me about this matter and indicated that there was some discussion of the matter in British Columbia. I have made inquiries and I am told that there have been no imports of either frozen or SOo strawberries into Canada up to the present time so far as we can find out. I understand that the complaint is not that there has been importation into British Columbia but that British Columbia is not able to sell her berries to eastern manufacturers because of a suggestion that S02 or frozen berries may be coming from Holland to the eastern plants.

Up to the present time, so far as I can find out, there has been no such importation. I am making further inquiries as to the possibility of those berries coming in and I will make a further report later.