The province wants to know what matters to municipalities when it comes to the CAT ferry.

They’ve sent a letter to units in Southwestern Nova Scotia as they prepare the first steps of a ‘broad economic impact study’ of the Nova Scotia-to-Maine service.

Yarmouth Mayor Pam Mood says the impact was positive last season, and it reaches all the way to Cape Breton.

“How many people are staying in hotels, and shopping and purchasing gas? It’s not just about that, people have jobs because the ferry is here,” said Mood.

The ferry ran for the first time since 2018, and carried over 36-thousand passengers last year.

The province said last fall they’d be conducting the study to see how viable the service is for taxpayers.

Mood says staff put together a list of what they’d like to see considered.

She says it will show that the ferry helps everyone.

“I respect the fact that they’re taking the time to do the impact study. When the NDP government took the ferry away, if anyone can’t remember what happened here, that needs to be taken into consideration as well.”

Mood says Yarmouth turned into a ‘ghost town’ when the previous service was cancelled in 2009, and that can’t happen again.

The province says the study should be completed sometime this year.

The CAT will begin sailing again between Yarmouth and Bar Harbor, Maine in May.