Toronto Island ferries

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The Toronto Island ferries connect the Toronto Islands in Lake Ontario to the mainland of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The main ferry service carries passengers and vehicles from Jack Layton Ferry Terminal at the foot of Bay Street to several docks on the islands. Another ferry carries passengers and vehicles to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport on the island from the foot of Eireann Quay. Private ferries carry passengers to various island boat clubs. Ferry services to the islands began in 1833, and the Toronto Island Ferry company began in 1883.

Video Toronto Island ferries

Services

There are four public ferries to the islands. Three of these ferry services serve the island parks and Ward's Island, while the fourth serves the island airport. Beside the public ferry services, several yacht clubs and marinas located on the islands provide private ferry services for their members and guests. Private water taxi services are available from locations along the waterfront.

The Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division of the City of Toronto operates three public ferries to Hanlan's Point, Centre Island Park and Ward's Island from Jack Layton Terminal at the foot of Bay Street on the central Toronto waterfront. During spring and fall, the ferries operate on a 45-minute round trip. During summer months, the ferries make a round trip each half-hour. During the winter months, ferries serve Ward's Island at longer intervals, and Hanlan's Point only as needed to deliver or pick up vehicles. Fares vary from $3.72 per child to $7.72 per adult and monthly passes are available.

PortsToronto operates a free vehicle and passenger ferry from Eireann Quay at the foot of Bathurst Street to the island airport every 15 minutes during airport operating hours. There is no public access between the airport and the rest of the island chain.

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History

The first ferry to cross Toronto Harbour to what are now the Toronto Islands was in 1833, using a boat called Sir John of the Peninsular. This was a four-horse team boat, operated by Michael O'Connor, between York and his hotel on the island (then still a peninsula). At this time, persons could still access the peninsula from a road to the east of York, crossing over the Don. In 1835, the hotel came under new management and the first steam-powered ferry to the hotel, the Toronto was inaugurated. However, the steamboat was removed from service and sold and the horse boat reinstated. Popularity of the peninsula increased and in 1836, the city established a toll gate on the road, charging sixpence for every four-wheeled carriage drawn by two horses and other tolls for smaller carriages, wagons or riders.

In 1843, the Peninsular Packet, a converted steamboat, which was propelled by paddle wheels driven by horses was pressed into service for the hotel. In 1853, the hotel came under new management again, that of John Quinn. Quinn introduced another steam ferry, the Victoria. Competition for the ferry business came the next year when Robert Moodie introduced his own the steam ferry, the Bob Moodie. Quinn responded with another vessel, the Welland, another steam ferry. In 1857, Moodie added the Lady Head steam vessel. A vicious storm hit the island on April 13, 1858, destroying Quinn's hotel and the Parkinson's hotel and creating a 500-yard (460 m)-wide eastern gap making the previous peninsula an island.

Throughout the rest of the 19th-century, the popularity of the Island increased. With no links to the mainland, ferries proliferated, with most being paddle steamers operated by individual owners. Eventually two competing ferry companies came into being: the Turner Ferry Company and A.J. Tymon's Island Ferry Company. The assets of the Turner Ferry Company were bought by the John Doty Engine & Ferry Company, which in turn merged with A.J. Tymon's Island Ferry Company in 1892 to form the Toronto Ferry Company.

In 1906 and 1910, the Toronto Ferry Company built two double-decked, double-ended paddle steamers, with a capacity of 1,450 passengers. They were named Bluebell and Trillium. They were retired in 1955 and 1957 respectively, but Trillium survived and re-entered service in 1976. It is operated by the Great Lakes Schooner Company for corporate and private functions, and for ferry runs throughout the summer. It is now 100 years old.

The Toronto Ferry Company continued to operate the ferry services until 1926, when its services and fleet was purchased by the City of Toronto for CA$337,500 ($4.71 million in 2016 dollars). In February 1927, the city transferred the eight-boat fleet to the Toronto Transportation Commission (TTC, later renamed the Toronto Transit Commission), the body that operates the city's transit system. The three double-ended, diesel-engined and screw-driven ferries that form the backbone of today's service to the islands were built for the TTC. The William Inglis was built in 1935, the Sam McBride in 1939, and the Thomas Rennie in 1951.

In 1938 the Toronto Harbour Commission began operating a ferry service to the new Toronto Island Airport, then under construction. A scow was adapted for use as a cable ferry, with the intention that this ferry would operate for a five-year period. However the scow remained in service for 25 years before being replaced by the ferry Maple City. The backup ferry Windmill Point was acquired in 1985 and a new replacement ferry, TCCA1, in 2006. The Port Authority subsequently purchased another ferry, the Marilyn Bell 1.

On January 1, 1962, the ferry services operated by the TTC were transferred to Metro Toronto Parks and Culture, a department of the then Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto. In 1966 there was a proposal to replace the ferries with high speed hovercrafts but failed to gain political interest. In 1997 the metropolitan municipality was merged with its member municipalities, becoming the enlarged City of Toronto, and the park ferry services became the responsibility of city's Department of Parks and Recreation. In 2005, responsibility for these services was transferred to the city's Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division, where it remains. The airport ferry is the responsibility of PortsToronto.

Binoculars and skyline with Toronto Island ferry from Centre ...

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Fleet

Crushing through ice aboard a Toronto Island Ferry

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In popular culture

Allan Moak's children's book A Big City ABC prominently displays an illustration of the Toronto Island Ferry, Sam McBride on its cover. It was also featured as "Flo and Merriweather" in Mighty Machines. The band Great Lake Swimmers named their album Ongiara after the ferry.

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Docks

With the exception of the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal, no other docks are enclosed and consist merely of a series of metal fences and ramps.

Jack Layton Ferry Terminal

The Jack Layton Ferry Terminal is located at the foot of Bay Street on the mainland and consists of four piers. They are located in the enclosed main docks, and the last pier is an open area to the east for the larger Trillium ferry boat. Toronto Fire Services fireboat William Lyon Mackenzie shares the dock spaces. During winter months the ferries (other than Trillium) are stored here with upper decks covered with a tarp. Trillium is stored at nearby Yonge Street Slip. The docks were once home the fireboat William Lyon Mackenzie. The original docks were located on the east side of the THC Building at Bay and Harbour Streets. When the infilling took place after 1918 the docks moved to Queen's Quay West of Bay Street (now site of Harbour Square condos) before being moved to the east to the current location. The Toronto City Council voted unanimously to rename the terminal in honour of late New Democratic Party leader and former Toronto City Councillor Jack Layton.

Hanlan's Point Docks

Hanlan's Point Dock is located to the west next to the island airport; open boarding area consists of three piers. There are washrooms and a snack bar nearby. The tugboat Ned Hanlan is located nearby. Hanlan's Point used to be called Gibraltar Point, and from 1794 to 1813 it was home to a British Army fortification or battery (storehouses and guardhouse), then a blockhouse from 1814 to 1823.

Centre Island Docks

Centre Island Docks is on Island Park and consists of two piers. There are washrooms, a Shopsy's deli and a Pizza Pizza nearby. There is no winter service from this dock. Newly covered area was added to provide additional shelter space.

Ward's Island Docks

Ward's Island Docks is on Ward's Island to the east; an open boarding area consists of a single pier.

Airport ferry

The Western Gap is at the foot of Eireann Quay and consists of a single pier. Parking is available for cars not crossing to the Island. The Island Airport Dock is at the north end of the island airport and consists of a single pier and a loading ramp. These two docks are used by the Toronto Port Authority.