One of the main carriers of goods to the province is facing challenging times and without government intervention will be forced to make changes.

Oceanex Executive Chairman Sid Hynes says with everything that’s going on with COVID-19, their volume has dropped by 25 per cent.

Hynes says new cars are no longer being shipped to St. John’s. He says they are being held in Halifax.

In addition to cars, Oceanex has big customers that stock goods on shelves in the big box stores. About 70 per cent of all goods that are purchased on the Avalon Peninsula get here on Oceanex vessels.

The recent downturn comes on the heels of 10-12 per cent decrease over the past few years because of the slumping economy.

Hynes says he has reached out to federal and provincial officials to point out the crucial nature of the business and how a cut in service would be far-reaching.

He says if they have to drop one sailing a week out of Montreal, then the medical and pharmaceutical supplies and store goods will be arriving once a week instead of twice a week.