The company, operated as a joint venture by Quest Navigation of Eliot, Maine and Singapore conglomerate ST Marine, was awarded the contract to operate the route in November 2013, when the Nova Scotia government agreed to issue $21 million in forgivable loans to the company over seven years.

[3] As a result, the Nova Scotia government spent the entire $21 million allocated to subsidizing the service for seven years in the first season, and issued an additional $4.4 million to Nova Star in October, subject to increased financial oversight.

[5] During 2015, the company set a target of 80,000 passengers carried, though by August it was on track to miss the goal, having carried 37,800 by the end of the month,[6] and the Nova Scotia government was working to determine whether it would contract with Nova Star again in 2016.

[7] Four companies submitted bids to Nova Scotia, with the province expected to select the 2016 operator of the route within weeks.

[6] By 2016 the MV Nova Star had moved to Europe and a new high-speed ferry line was in operation between Portland and Yarmouth.