JOHN JANTAK
The 1019 Report

The Hudson-Oka ferry will maintain regular service under new ownership, said former owner Claude Desjardins.

The decision to sell the ferry service, which first began in 1909, was a business decision, Desjardins said, refusing to disclose the price. It was purchased by father and son, Philippe and Serge Daignault.

“I cannot be sad,” Desjardins said. “I was not forced to sell the business. It was a decision that was made after much reflection and it was the right decision for me to make at this moment.”

The ferry service, which makes regular daily crossings on the Lake of Two Mountains, is very busy in the summer months, especially with the congested road network in the region.

In the past few winters, however, milder temperatures have prevented the opening of the ice bridge across the lake.

“The status of the ice bridge can be fragile,” Desjardins explained. “When winters aren’t cold – as we had the past two years –  we couldn’t operate the ice bridge because of the weather and warm temperatures.”

He attributes climate change and warmer weather as the culprits that have kept the ice bridge from opening, but Desjardins is optimistic there will still be some more good years to come for the ice bridge.

“Three years ago was an incredible year. It was very cold, the ice was solid and it was a long season. It comes and it goes,” he said. “When it’s open, the users are very happy because it really helps to make travelling easier.”

For now, Desjardins isn’t sure what he’ll do next.

“Right now I just want to enjoy life,” he said. “That’s my plan for now. I’ll see later on what I want to do.”

The Hudson-Oka ferry began service in 1909, where it was operated by the first of three generations of the Léger family, who ran it until Desjardins bought it in 1999.