N.L. government trying to offload MV Earl Winsor for second time

The provincial government is going to take another crack at selling the MV Earl Winsor, after a previous call for bids turned up empty.

Bidding closed on the previous tender on Sept. 21, 2017. The province was asking for a minimum bid of $90,000 the first time around, with no suitable offers put forward.

Now, the government is going to try again to get the aged ferry off its hands.

Another tender has been put forward by the Department of Transportation and Works, once again trying to get the vessel out of dock in Lewisporte, where it’s been sitting when it hasn’t been filling in for the MV Veteran when that ferry went down for repairs after it was first brought into service.

The government estimates that upkeep of the vessel has cost $237,000 a year.

The department is also weighing its options at the defunct nurse’s residence at the former Grace Hospital site in the centre of St. John’s.

There had been talk for a number of years about the site being used as the future home of a new courthouse.

In an email, Transportation and Works spokesperson Brian Scott says plans for a new courthouse have been put on hold for now.

“We have determined that we have no use for the site of the former Grace Hospital Nursing Residence so we will soon begin hazmat and property assessments at the property,” Scott stated.

“The department is confident that a suitable site for a future courthouse can be found, when necessary.”

Elsewhere, the government is looking to cut down on its fleet of vehicles by 110 this year, leaving 1,100 vehicles still owned by the government.

Transportation and Works estimates offloading those vehicles will save about $500,000 a year.

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Twitter: DavidMaherNL