In Pictou, N.S., the town's mayor watched as the MV Northumberland arrived in port on Sunday. 

The new vessel will become the second permanent ship for Northumberland Ferries Limited when the sailing season begins later this year. 

"Hopefully it's a step — a big step — toward restoring reliability to the ferry service," said Pictou Mayor Jim Rayan, who said 2024 was "absolutely the worst" he's seen in terms of ferry disruptions. 

"The service itself was very unreliable and of course non-existent f…