residents and politicians, forcing the federal government to maintain the status quo until March 2010. In December 2009 it was reported that Transport Canada was considering only renewing the subsidy for 1 year to cover the 2010 operating season, after which it had been speculated that the federal government would reduce or eliminate the operating subsidy for future years. This would have likely resulted in the retirement of the MV Holiday Island and the reduction to a 1-vessel service from July–September, or possibly the complete abandonment of the ferry service after 2011. Residents of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island lobbied federal and local politicians and bureaucrats to see the 2-vessel May–December service maintained and enhanced as an alternative to the Confederation Bridge in the event of a disaster forcing closure of the span. In 2014, the federal government announced it was committed to maintaining an operating subsidy until at least 2016, with some funding specifically directed at modernizing mechanical systems on the Holiday Island. Terminals Caribou This terminal serves Nova Scotia, and is located at the North end of Highway 106, a spur route of the Trans-Canada Highway. The terminal was constructed following the formation of Northumberland Ferries in 1941, and has received numerous upgrades since its construction. At the time of opening, the ferry was only accessible via Three Brooks Road. During the Canada-wide construction of the Trans-Canada Highway in the 1960s, Highway 106 was built providing the service with direct access to the national highway network. At this time, the terminal was expanded to handle more vehicle traffic due to the opening of the highway. A new terminal building was constructed in the early 1970s, and is still used today. The terminal also received a major upgrade including new docking infrastructure, terminal renovations, vehicle lanes and parking prior to the 1993 introduction of the high capacity MV Confederation, which is significantly larger than the other ferries running at the time. Wood Islands This terminal serves Prince Edward Island, and is located at the east end of Route 1, the Trans Canada Highway, and is adjacent to Wood Islands Provincial Park. Like the Caribou terminal, it was constructed following the formation of Northumberland ferries in 1941. During the early 1990s, the terminal received a major upgrade, including a completely new terminal building and docking infrastructure to accommodate MV Confederation. The terminal building received renovations in 2017 which saw