Bay Ferries hasn't committed to keeping its Digby to Saint John service afloat, despite $6 million in promises from Ottawa and the Nova Scotia government.

On Wednesday, both levels of government promised to try to save the doomed ferry service, which is scheduled to shut down on Oct. 31 because of low ridership and high fuel prices. 

The Nova Scotia money is conditional on a matching offer from New Brunswick. The new Liberal government won't be sworn in until Oct. 3 and can't commit anything until then.

The Nova Scotia government maintains the extra cash will help keep the ferry running until at least 2008.

Despite that, Bay Ferries president Mark MacDonald has not confirmed the ferry will run beyond the end of October.

MacDonald issued a two-paragraph statement in response to the offer, saying the company is still talking to its government partners and won't comment publicly while discussions are ongoing.   

That surprised Digby-area MLA Harold Theriault, who has been fighting to save the service.  

"What they should have said is, 'Let's take this financial help and try to make this service work for our customers.' Or maybe they want to say we're not interested in this run, in this service anymore, and if so we'll find someone else to do it."

Theriault, who was a fisherman before turning to politics, says he's even ready to take over the helm of the Princess of Acadia ferry if need be to make sure it keeps crossing the water.

Bay Ferries operates the service, but the boat and the wharves belong to the federal government.

The company announced this summer that it would shut down the ferry because of high fuel prices and a 25 per cent drop in ridership. The shutdown will result in about 100 lost jobs in Saint John and Digby.