New details released of proposed hovercraft service between downtown Toronto and Niagara Region
New details are emerging about a proposed hovercraft service that aims to transport tourists and commuters alike across Lake Ontario between Toronto and Niagara Region in just 30 minutes.
At an event at the Toronto Region Board of Trade on Wednesday, officials with Hoverlink Ontario explained how the service, which recently cleared a significant hurdle, will alleviate congestion along one of province's busiest highways and make it more attractive for people to travel to two of Ontario's largest tourist destinations.
Last month, officials confirmed that a 30-year agreement had been signed with Ports Toronto, bringing the service one step closer to reality.
Chris Morgan, the founder and CEO of Hoverlink, called the development 'the beginning of a new era of rapid transit.'
'This is not just a rapid transportation project. It is an economic development catalyst, a tourism accelerator,' he said.
How will the service work?
Passengers will travel by hovercraft between Billy Bishop Airport and a facility that will be built at Port Weller, St. Catharines. The total trip time is estimated to be 30 minutes.
The amphibious vehicle is designed to travel over land, water, ice, and other surfaces. Blowers produce a large volume of air below the hull of the vessel to create an air cushion, allowing it to float 1.8 metres above the surface. Additional fans and propellers move the craft forward.
Hovercrafts are currently used by the Canadian Coast Guard for rescue and icebreaking missions.
Officials say that while the vessels have been used for decades to transport people in the United Kingdom, a similar passenger service does not yet exist in North America.
'We intend to make it a way of life here on Lake Ontario,' Erika Potrz, the president of Hoverlink Ontario, told CTV News on Wednesday.
Who is the target market for the service?
The company says both tourists and commuters will benefit from the Hoverlink.
'Hoverlink would allow Torontonians to quickly visit the wineries and the beautiful hinterland of Niagara-on-the-Lake, or unleash new possibilities for regional tourism, employment, and housing between Toronto and St. Catharines,' Morgan said.
Operating at full capacity, the company says Hoverlink would result in 8,000 fewer cars on the QEW each day.
When will the hovercraft service launch?
No official timeline has been announced for the launch of service but Potrz said Hoverlink has done everything it can to facilitate getting the service up and running as soon as possible.
How many passengers can the hovercraft hold?
The craft can hold 180 passengers plus crew.
How frequently will it run?
The company says it is capable of making 48 trips daily and will operate 365 days a year.
How much will it cost to ride the hovercraft?
Ticket pricing has not been released but the company says it will be 'comparable to other existing ground public transit option fares in the region.'
How will I get to my destination after I arrive at the Hoverlink terminal in St. Catharines?
Potrz said Hoverlink will operate its own shuttle buses in St. Catharines with limited stops. It will take passengers to the Fallsview Hilton, downtown Niagara-on-the-Lake, Fort George, and Niagara College.
'We will invite some of our key partners to have their shuttle buses come and pick up folks,' she added.
'We are looking at how do we package up tickets with entities in Niagara Region, as well as in Toronto, to encourage and ensure that all of our businesses win.'
Has this been tried before?
There have been two previous attempts to connect Toronto to other regions via Lake Ontario, including a short-lived ferry service to Rochester, N.Y. and a previous project that used hydrofoils.
'People often say, 'This has tried before and it's failed,'' Potrz said. 'Failure predicates success.'
She said the previous two attempts were 'marred with issues,' adding that there has 'never been anything like' the Hoverlink service on Lake Ontario before.
'They (previous projects) were marred with issues because the craft competency was not available. They were hydrofoils. Hydrofoils cross Lake Ontario maybe six months of the year, create a really uncomfortable experience for consumers, and they really are not competent to craft in all weather types,' she said.
'There was a ferry to Rochester, and that was predicated on cargo movement, very different than a commuter and tourism strategy. We have 40 million tourists between Niagara Region and Toronto. What a better market to launch a marine transit service into with a craft that is military grade.'
Potrz said the company wants to make transportation 'fun again.'
'Somebody's coming in to see a concert at Live Nation, we are going to have a DJ on board. We are going to make this fun,' she said.
'There is going to be an experiential portion to what we do everyday to make sure people want to ride on the hovercraft.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
National Post
25 minutes ago
- National Post
How much work are Air Canada flight attendants not getting paid for?
Air Canada flight attendants were planning to picket at airports in four major Canadian cities on Monday in what the union is calling a national day of action. Article content The Canadian Union of Public Employees said demonstrations were set for Montreal's Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport, Vancouver International Airport and Calgary International Airport, all at 1 p.m. ET. Article content Article content Among the issues, CUPE said, is that flight attendants are paid only for 'block time,' which begins at takeoff and lasts until landing. The union said attendants are spending time performing 'unpaid duties' during ground time before and after flights. Article content Article content In a briefing note released this month, CUPE noted: 'Flight attendants at Air Canada are required to perform unpaid duties every day before and after flights. This includes critical safety checks, boarding and deplaning procedures, assisting passengers with special needs, and preparing the cabin.' Article content It concludes: 'Flight attendants are not paid for a significant portion of their time on the job,' and notes that the safety-related duties are not optional, as they are mandated by Transport Canada. Article content How much time are we talking? Article content A 2023 survey of Canadian flight attendants from CUPE's Airline Division found that they performed unpaid work for 34.86 hours per month, on average — the equivalent of almost one full work week per month. Article content Article content The survey, which ran between Dec. 10, 2022, and Jan. 11, 2023, received 9,807 responses. Article content Article content 'Unpaid work is a dirty secret in this industry, and one we are determined to stamp out,' said Wesley Lesosky, President of CUPE's Airline Division, at the time. 'The bottom line is, if we're on the jobsite, in our uniforms, performing work duties then we should be getting paid — full stop.' Article content It adds: 'This model had also been used in previous contracts dating back many years. Air Canada's approach to flight attendant compensation, including for ground time, is consistent with that at most global carriers. In fact, CUPE reached a new contract with a large Canadian carrier in 2024 that uses this same approach.' Article content That would be the agreement between CUPE and Air Transat, which gave flight attendants at that airline a 30 per cent pay increase over the five years of the contract. It did not, however, address ground time and block time. 'The issue of ground time is discussed with the union as part of a more general conversation about overall compensation,' the airline said. Article content Do other airlines pay for ground time? Article content Most do not. However, in 2022 Delta Air Lines began paying its flight attendants at half their hourly rate for a set 40 to 50 minutes of boarding, depending on the type of aircraft and where it's headed, according to NPR. Delta is the only major U.S. airline whose flight attendants are not unionized, and the broadcaster suggested the move might be an effort by the airline to discourage unionizing. Article content After Delta's decision, American Airlines and its union also agreed to a similar plan. Article content What does Pierre Poilievre have to say on the issue? Article content The leader of the Conservative Party of Canada wrote a letter last week to Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario. In it, he called on her to amend the Canada Labour Code 'to require that federally regulated airlines pay flight attendants for all hours they are on duty, not just time spent on the air.' Article content This would effectively circumvent the union negotiations and also require other airlines in Canada to make similar payments to their flight attendants. 'No other federally regulated worker would accept being on the job without being paid,' Poilievre noted. Article content Flight attendants work long before takeoff and after landing — and deserve to be paid for it. Shadow Minister for Labour @kyleseeback and I are calling on the Carney Liberals to fix this unfair system and ensure fair pay for every minute on the job. — Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) August 6, 2025 Article content
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Hudson's Bay lease sale may negatively impact pension fund: OMERS' real estate arm
The real estate investment arm of one of the country's largest pension funds is worried about the value of its assets if a B.C. billionaire is able to buy Hudson's Bay leases at its properties. In documents filed with the Ontario Superior Court over the weekend, Oxford Properties Group argues transferring leases to "an unvetted and unproven" entrepreneur like Ruby Liu "poses a serious and unacceptable risk" to the company. "A diminution in the value or stability of Oxford's real estate portfolio would negatively impact the performance of OMERS' investments, and by extension, adversely affect the long-term interests of millions of current and future pension plan beneficiaries," Nadia Corrado, a vice-president with Oxford, said in affidavit entered into the court record Saturday. Oxford is the real estate division of Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System, which administers the pensions of more than 600,000 plan members. Oxford has more than $79 billion in assets under management and hundreds of properties on four continents. Liu, who owns three B.C. malls and a golf course, is looking to take over about two dozen Bay leases. Three of those leases are in Oxford properties — Southcentre Mall in Calgary, Hillcrest Shopping Centre in Richmond Hill, Ont., and Upper Canada Mall in Newmarket, Ont. Liu has said she plans to use the spaces to build a new department store she will name after herself. It will have three tiers of stores — flagship, platinum and standard — filled with entertainment, dining and recreation spaces. She has said she and a team of 1,800 staff she will hire can get the bulk of the stores open within 180 days of signing leases. She has allocated $325 million to accomplishing the feat, which will involve repairing stores, forging relationships with suppliers and marketing her entirely new brand. Liu, who did not comment for this story, has said she is confident she can win property owners over if the court allows her purchase of the leases to go through. 'Surprisingly deficient and superficial' However, landlords, including Oxford, are fighting Liu, saying her plans are underfunded, have unrealistic timelines and are bound to fail. A court hearing is scheduled in the case for later this month. Oxford's doubts about Liu emerged as soon as its executives met with her on June 2. "That meeting was unproductive and revealed a troubling absence of financial transparency, commercial sophistication and basic preparedness," Corrado recalled in her affidavit. "No financial statements, proof of funding or evidence of capital readiness were provided." She alleged Liu, who made her fortune in Chinese real estate, told Oxford she had a business plan but wouldn't provide it unless Oxford pledged its support for her taking over the lease. When Oxford asked about whether she had suppliers willing to sell her merchandise to fill stores, Corrado alleges Liu told the company to "relax, lay back and do not worry." WATCH | Ruby Liu's vision for Hudson's Bay locations: B.C. billionaire Ruby Liu shares her vision for former Hudson's Bay locations 1 month ago Oxford had a hard time taking that advice. At stake were leases with terms ranging from 49 to 65 years and covering some of the company's most desirable shopping spaces. The size and orientation of the Bay space at Hillcrest Mall alone "means that any misstep will materially affect the overall customer experience, tenant retention, and, in turn, diminish the value of Oxford's asset," Corrado said. Based on her experience, she said it takes years for companies to curate a concept for a new retailer, even for one taking over very small units. She said in the court documents that she found it hard to believe Liu thought such work could be done in a matter of months for even a single leased location of more than 150,000 square feet and thought the timeline spoke to Liu's inexperience. "The introduction of an unproven anchor tenant lacking established retail credibility poses a significant risk in that it can degrade the customer experience, diminish the overall quality of the shopping centre, and generate a negative 'halo effect' that impacts entire wings of the mall," Corrado said. "Given that anchor leases can endure for decades, the long-term presence of a poor anchor can permanently undermine and potentially destroy the commercial viability of substantial portions, or even the entirety of a shopping centre." In their own filings made Saturday, many other landlords agreed with Oxford's concerns. Morguard Investments Ltd. called information Liu supplied about her plans "surprisingly deficient and superficial and frankly, puerile." It said it was willing to wait to find a better long-term tenant and, in the meantime, wants to enter into temporary leases terminable by the landlord with 90 days' notice with clothing company Urban Behavior and accessories retailer Ardene. Primaris Real Estate Investment Trust said it left four hours' worth of meetings with Liu and her team with "absolutely no confidence that she had the relevant experience or understanding of the enormity of what she is seeking to undertake by opening a multi-store business concept in several provinces from the ground up." Cadillac Fairview felt her plan "defies commercial common sense" but hired Ernst & Young to evaluate it anyway. A report filed with the court showed the consultancy firm thought the estimated costs and timelines in Liu's business plan were not feasible and would be significantly higher given the large number of repairs the properties require and the complex relationships she must forge with suppliers and other vendors. Liu and the Bay have until Tuesday to file a response to the landlords in court. At the end of the week, they will begin cross-examinations before a judge hears their case at the end of the month.
National Post
an hour ago
- National Post
CUPE : Air Canada Flight Attendants Stage National Day of Action to End Unpaid Work and Win a Fair Contract
Article content TORONTO — Air Canada flight attendants staged a national day of action at airports across Canada on Monday, to highlight the rampant abuse of unpaid work in the airline industry, and the need for a fair contract. Article content The flight attendants, represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), recently authorized their union to take strike action, in a near unanimous vote, in their current round of negotiations with Air Canada if a contract cannot be reached that addresses unpaid labour and poverty wages for junior flight attendants, in particular. Article content 'There is very clear path for Air Canada to avoid job action: pay your workers when they're on the clock, and pay them a wage that allows them to live and work in dignity. That isn't an unreasonable ask,' said Wesley Lesosky, President of the Air Canada Component of CUPE which represents over 10,000 flight attendants across the country. Article content 'We're proud to put on this uniform and help keep the public safe on their journey, but the days of us doing it for free or for poverty wages must end.' Article content 'Air Canada flight attendants from coast to coast came together today to stand up for each other, and for the pride and dignity of this profession. We're standing together for respect and a fair contract that matches to the professionalism and dedication we bring to work every day.' Article content The latest round of bargaining comes at the end of a 10-year contract which expired on March 31, 2025. Flight attendants have been crushed by inflation and rising costs over the life of the contract. Junior flight attendants who work full-time and earn just $1,952 per month before taxes are bearing the worst. Meanwhile, all flight attendants put in hours and hours of unpaid work every week performing critical safety-related duties, as well as boarding, deplaning, and attending to emergencies onboard. Article content 'Air Canada has posted billions in profits in the past few years, they can afford to pay their workers fairly without adding new costs for the public,' added Lesosky. Article content The two sides currently remain at the bargaining table and the union remains optimistic that Air Canada will recognize the important role that their flight attendants – who have been voted Best Cabin Crew in North America by SkyTrax for several years in a row – play in making it such a profitable company. Air Canada has an opportunity to set an example in the airline industry by ending unpaid work and ending poverty wages for junior flight attendants. Article content Article content Article content Article content
