Year-round, 24 hours a day: hourly from each side as published by Nova Scotia Public Works (no dated timetable is issued) · Sailings shown by frequency — exact times from the operator. · Representative sailings only — check the operator for today's full schedule
Map – Petit Passage Ferry (East Ferry–Tiverton)
| Fare type | Price |
|---|---|
| Car or light truck | Free |
| Commercial truck | Free |
| Bicycle | Free |
No fare is charged. Nova Scotia suspended ferry fees in March 2020 and announced on 19 June 2021 that they were removed permanently; before that, the province says fees ran from $7 for cars and light trucks to $10 for commercial trucks. The Public Works ferry page shows $0.00 for both cars/light trucks and commercial trucks on Petit Passage, and bicycles travel at no extra cost.
The Petit Passage ferry links East Ferry, at the tip of Digby Neck, with Tiverton on Long Island, in Digby County. It is one of seven ferries run by the Nova Scotia Department of Public Works, which treats them as links in the provincial highway system, and one of the three in that fleet that are ocean-going, self-propelled vessels rather than cable ferries. On OpenStreetMap both ferry ramps are mapped as part of Highway 217, and the landings sit roughly 750 metres apart across the passage.
The province does not issue a dated timetable for this crossing. Its ferry page describes a 24-hour, on-demand service in which the boat leaves Tiverton on the hour and East Ferry on the half hour, and the government's 2021 announcement says the provincial ferries run daily throughout the year. Because no list of departures is printed, the board on this page shows that hourly rhythm as a guide, not as a schedule you can hold the province to. Public Works does not publish a crossing time either.
Nothing is charged to cross. Fees on all provincial ferries were suspended in March 2020, and on 19 June 2021 the province announced they were gone for good; until then drivers paid between $7 for a car or light truck and $10 for a commercial truck. Cyclists ride on at no extra cost.
For most visitors this is only half the journey. Brier Island lies beyond Long Island, and getting there means driving the length of Long Island to Freeport and boarding a second provincial boat, the Grand Passage ferry to Westport. That crossing has its own departure pattern and its own listing, so check it separately before planning a tight connection.
Before setting out, check the crossing is open on the ferry list of 511 Nova Scotia; on 29 September 2026 that list showed Petit Passage In Service with no suspension recorded.
- Arrive at the terminal before the posted departure; vehicle lanes and ticket booths close earlier than the foot-passenger gate.
- Check the operator's current conditions or service notices on the day — wind, ice, vessel refits and dangerous-cargo sailings change the schedule.
- Find out how you can pay before you queue: some crossings are free, some sell tickets only at one end, and some take cards only.