Kingston Peninsula Ferry Webcam – Crossing the Kennebecasis

The Kingston Peninsula Ferry Webcam looks across the Kennebecasis River from the Millidgeville ferry landing in Saint John, New Brunswick, toward Summerville on the Kingston Peninsula. A concrete wharf with lamp standards sits in the lower right of the frame, and the forested far shore runs the width of the picture, with the landing at Summerville in the middle distance. That is where the Peninsula Princess, the provincial ferry on this crossing, can often be seen tied up or pulling away. The camera faces slightly north of northwest, straight across the line the ferry takes. Across a day the river shifts from flat grey calm to wind-ruffled chop, and the ferry comes and goes as often as every half hour through the busier part of the day.

About the Kingston Peninsula Ferry

The crossing is officially the Summerville to Millidgeville Ferry, a free provincial service run by the New Brunswick Department of Transportation. It covers 1.9 kilometers (1.2 miles) of open river between Millidgeville, on the northern edge of Saint John, and Summerville, off Route 845 on the Kingston Peninsula, and a trip takes about 15 minutes. The vessel on the run is the Peninsula Princess, a propeller-driven ferry first registered in 1994. She is 38.25 meters (125.5 feet) long and 11.61 meters (38.1 feet) wide, and carries up to 24 cars and 99 passengers.

The Kennebecasis River runs about 95 kilometers (59 miles) from the Caledonia Highlands to its junction with the Saint John River right here at Millidgeville. Its name is thought to come from the Mi’kmaq “Kenepekachiachk”, meaning “little long bay place”, and west of Hampton it fills a broad, fjord-like glacial valley. That valley is why the peninsula still depends on boats. Successive provincial governments have turned down a highway bridge, and the river is crossed instead by this ferry and the Gondola Point Ferry upstream, with a third seasonal boat running from Summerville out to Kennebecasis Island.

Millidgeville has its own history on the water. Thomas Millidge built more than thirty oceangoing wooden ships at his Kennebecasis Shipyard here, and the Royal Kennebeccasis Yacht Club, founded in 1898, is based along the same shore. Saint John’s first airport was also built in Millidgeville, chosen because the neighbourhood gets the least fog in the Saint John area.

Weather and Climate in Saint John

Winters are cold, with an average January temperature of about minus 8.2 C (17.2 F). Snowfalls can be heavy, but rain is as common as snow in winter, and the ground is often bare even in midwinter. Ice on the river is what ends the ferry season: service runs from spring until fall depending on river conditions, and Tourism New Brunswick lists the season as April to December. Outside it, the wharf in the foreground of the Kingston Peninsula Ferry Webcam is quiet, and in the coldest spells the river can ice over.

Summers are warm, with daytime highs often above 25 C (77 F) and the hottest day of the year usually reaching 31 or 32 C (88 or 90 F). Cold Bay of Fundy air meeting warmer air inland brings periods of summer fog to Saint John, though Millidgeville sits in the clearest part of the city. Precipitation totals about 1,295 mm (51 inches) a year, with late autumn and early winter usually the wettest stretch. Autumn is the season to watch for color, when the mixed forest on the Summerville shore turns orange and gold against the dark spruce.

Things to Do Near the Kingston Peninsula Ferry

Riding the boat seen on the Kingston Peninsula Ferry Webcam is the easiest trip from here. On the Summerville side, Route 845 leads to Kingston, first settled by Loyalists in 1783. Trinity Church there, built in 1789, is the oldest Anglican church in New Brunswick, and the church and its rectory across the street are a National Historic Site of Canada. Kingston also has a farmers market that draws shoppers from Quispamsis and Rothesay across the river.

On the Saint John side, Rockwood Park, one of the largest urban parks in Canada, has a public golf course inside the city limits. Farther downstream, the Reversing Falls is where the Bay of Fundy’s tides push the Saint John River backward at high tide. Boats have to wait for slack water to pass, and whitewater kayakers use the rapids as they change with the tide. The University of New Brunswick’s Saint John campus in Tucker Park is also in Millidgeville.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

These cameras cover more of New Brunswick and another small river ferry.

• Saint John Webcam
• Fredericton Webcam
• Ironton Ferry Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Kingston Peninsula Ferry?

The ferry crosses the Kennebecasis River between Millidgeville, a neighbourhood on the northern edge of Saint John, and Summerville on the Kingston Peninsula in Kings County, New Brunswick, Canada. The Millidgeville landing is off Sandy Point Road.

What can you see on the Kingston Peninsula Ferry Webcam?

The camera looks slightly north of northwest across the river from the Millidgeville side. A concrete wharf fills the lower right, the wooded Summerville shore stretches along the horizon, and the Peninsula Princess can be seen at the far landing or crossing the open water.

What is the weather like in Saint John, New Brunswick?

January averages about minus 8.2 C (17.2 F), with a mix of snow and rain. Summer days are often above 25 C (77 F), with fog rolling in off the Bay of Fundy, and the city gets about 1,295 mm (51 inches) of precipitation a year.

How long does the Summerville to Millidgeville ferry take?

The crossing is 1.9 kilometers (1.2 miles) and takes about 15 minutes.

Is the Summerville to Millidgeville ferry free?

Yes. It is a toll-free service operated by the New Brunswick Department of Transportation, and it carries both cars and foot passengers.

When does the Kingston Peninsula ferry run?

Service runs from spring until fall, depending on ice and river conditions, with Tourism New Brunswick listing April to December. In season the ferry sails at least hourly between 8 am and 11 pm, and every half hour or more often for most of the day.

What is the name of the ferry between Millidgeville and Summerville?

The boat is the Peninsula Princess, registered in 1994, with room for 24 cars and 99 passengers.

Source: Tom Fournier