The Town of Kingsville is sharing new information received from the Kingsville Non-Profit Port Management Corporation about the status of dredging in Kingsville Harbour.

The ferry annually begins service to Pelee Island from the port of Leamington and then mid-summer transitions to the port of Kingsville for the remainder of the season.

The harbour requires dredging to create enough depth to allow the ferry and shipping to enter the port of Kingsville. The dredging was meant to be completed to allow ferry service to commence in Kingsville as scheduled on Tuesday, July 29, 2025.

The Kingsville Non-Profit Port Management Corporation now advises that the ferry service will commence in Kingsville on Tuesday, August 5, 2025.

Jack Frye, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Port of Kingsville, confirmed that required dredging of the channel has largely been completed. Frye says that “the Ocean Group removed an estimated 20,000 cubic metres of material within the first 5-days of operations.”

According to Frye, a sounding survey is needed to ensure all safety and navigation protocols are in place.

The Town of Kingsville is co-owner of the port of Kingsville, along with the Kingsville Port Users Association. The Kingsville Non-Profit Port Management Corporation have a 50-year lease to operate the port, which has been in effect since 1999. Dredging, along with operations, repairs and maintenance, are the responsibility of the lease-holder, the Kingsville Non-Profit Port Management Corporation.

The Town of Kingsville acknowledges that the ferry service has been delayed for the second summer in a row, in addition to other years in recent memory. The Town understands that there can be extenuating circumstances that impact timely dredging. However, these annual delays have a negative impact on our residents, visitors, and businesses who rely on the ferry service.

The Town will be following up directly with the Kingsville Non-Profit Port Management Corporation to address concerns.

~ Photo by Mike Gosselin