MV Leif Ericson

The vessel has a capacity of 500 passengers and 300 passenger vehicles (combination of automobiles and tractor trailers). She usually operates carrying commercial vehicles only on the North Sydney–Port aux Basques route. Passenger traffic on the North Sydney-Port aux Basques route is usually handled by Blue Puttees and Highlanders year-round, and ''Ala'suinu'' services the North Sydney–Argentia route three times per week from mid-June to late-September. ==Stena==

The vessel was built at Fosen Yard, Norway in 1990 as Stena Challenger for Stena Line. She originally operated across the English Channel between Dover, England, and Calais, France, and also operated for a while in freight only mode on Sealink Stena Line's roll-on/roll-off freight service to Dunkirk alongside SNCF's train ferry Nord-pas-de-Calais. On 19 September 1995 Stena Challenger ran aground on Blériot Plage whilst waiting to enter the port of Calais. ==Marine Atlantic==

The vessel was purchased by the Government of Canada for its Crown corporation Marine Atlantic in 2001 and underwent modifications in preparation for operating the route between North Sydney, Nova Scotia and Port aux Basques, Newfoundland & Labrador. She was renamed Leif Ericson in honour of the 1,000th anniversary of Leif Ericson's settlement in Newfoundland, reportedly the first European to set foot in the New World. On 26 October 2006 Leif Ericson collided with a concrete structure at Port aux Basques after losing power. In June 2010, Marine Atlantic announced an extensive midlife refit of approximately $18 million over the next twelve months for Leif Ericson. ==References==