For many in Labrador West who like vacationing in their motorhomes new policies on Quebec ferries may serve as a great inconvenience.
Anyone travelling with a propane tank with a capacity of more than 65 liters (or 74 pounds) will not be permitted to cross the St. Lawrence River via Matane-Baie-Comeau-Godbout ferries or RiviÈre-du-Loup - Saint-SimÉon ferry.
A spokesperson for the SociÉtÉ des traversiers du QuÉbec in Matane said the policy was brought in last September as instructed by the RÉgie de l'Énergie-the province's economic regulation agency.
"It's now the law on the water," she said. "So, you can't take a tank with, say, 100 pounds, it's too much for us."
Because of the length (two hours and 20 minutes) of the crossing, she said, a policy needed to be put in place for the safety of passengers.
The Tadoussac -Baie-Sainte-Catherine ferry, she pointed out, haven't got the same restriction policy because of the short timeframe to cross. The 1.6 km steam across the Saguenay River takes an average of 10 minutes.
Even the 65-minute crossing on the RiviÈre-du-Loup - Saint-SimÉon Ferry is too lengthy as well to allow for tanks more than 65 litres.
"There are too many motorhomes and lots of people and they have boats, gasoline and there is too much for the standard," she explained. "So, they had to make some rules. For gasoline, you can bring with you 25 litres, no more than that."
The spokeswoman said SociÉtÉ des traversiers du QuÉbec began announcing the policy last fall and checks are currently being conducted on the docks to ensure the policy is being adhered to.
"Now they are all being checked and you are even not allowed to carry a propane tank in a pickup-it has to be in a motorhome and it has to be the right size," she said. "Everyone will be checked and it will be written [down] how many tanks."
Whether or not the tank is filled to capacity won't matter she said.
"Empty, doesn't matter; it's dangerous empty or full"
The Aurora contacted RV World in Fredericton to find out the cost of a replacement propane tank.
A 53-litre tank is priced at $827 (plus tax and shipping). Because all tanks are not hooked up the same way, the RV dealer said each motorhome would have to be checked out for the setup of angles and brackets in order to determine whether or not the tank can even be replaced.
The nearest crossing of the St. Lawrence River by motorhomes that won't be permitted on the ferries, is the Pont Pierre-Laporte Bridge in Quebec City. The six-lane bridge is the longest-3,415 ft between anchorages-main span suspension bridge in Canada that has an average traffic count of 90,000 vehicles per day.
Any vehicle with a fuel leak will be refused boarding. All fuel tanks must be approved and compliant with standards. Valves on propane or other fuel cylinders must be tightly closed for the crossing.
Maximum permitted per motor vehicle:
- One 25-litre container of fuel
- Two 30-pound cylinders of propane gas
Maximum permitted per trailer:
- Two 25-litre containers of fuel per trailer towing at least one recreational motor vehicle (boat, motorcycle, snowmobile, all-terrain vehicle)
Maximum permitted per commercial vehicle:
One 55-pound cylinder of propane gas
Source: SociÉtÉ des traversiers du QuÉbec (website)
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