As Toronto enters a new era of ferries, council hopes oversight shift leads to smooth sailing
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As the Toronto carries out a complex and costly plan to welcome a new electric ferry next year with another to follow in 2027, oversight of the popular summer amenity is moving to a new department.
At the city's last council meeting in March, councillors voted to take the service away from the parks department and give it to its fleet services division. The move stems from an operational review the city and a consultancy conducted beginning in the fall, after a summer of frustration and long lines on the waterfront.
Coun. Paula Fletcher is welcoming the change — especially after she said the parks department initially "forgot" to figure out where the new electric ferries would be parked and charged, leaving staff scrambling to prepare for the new vessels. The city decided to go electric in 2019, but an estimated cost on charging and docking infrastructure wasn't brought forward until 2024.
"It's a marine fleet. It really doesn't have a lot to do with parks," Fletcher told CBC Toronto in an interview. "So it's moved out from folks that forgot [the ferries] needed to be plugged in, to people that do that every day. And I think it will be in good hands."
The shift in responsibility comes as the city works its way through a costly plan to replace its aging ferries, which allow an average 1.4 million annual visitors enjoy the city's island.
WATCH | Long ferry lines frustrated many in the city last summer:
Torontonians frustrated at long lines for island ferry
9 months ago
Duration 2:54
There are renewed calls for the city to work toward building a bridge to the Toronto Islands following a weekend of long lines at the ferry terminal. As CBC's Britnei Bilhete reports, some Torontonias said wait times were up to an hour and a half.
The city's current fleet of boats is beyond the average industry lifespan. A staff report from March says the first ferry should arrive in late 2026 and the second in mid-2027. It does not say when they're expected to be operational.
The ferries will be constructed at Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania.
The motion to transfer oversight of the ferries received a yes vote from 22 councillors. Councillors Mike Colle and Anthony Perruzza voted against it, while Jennifer McKelvie and Michael Thompson were absent.
Fleet services will take over the ferries by the fall. The report recommending the move says it makes sense because the department "is strategically oriented towards enhancing the reliability, efficiency and sustainability of the city's entire fleet."
Cost of new ferries has jumped from $25M to $92M
The change in authority comes after after councillors learned last summer that the price of electric ferries is significantly more expensive than anticipated.
During the March council meeting, Coun. Stephen Holyday was critical of that rising cost.
"It's frustrating because it's gone from buying a new vessel, which I think most people understood needed to be replaced, to getting a really fancy one and tens and tens of millions of dollars later," Holyday said.
In July, councillors on the general government committee heard the price of the two ferries had gone from $25 million in 2020 to $92 million, due to design changes. City staff have said the savings of going electric will cover the cost of the vessels within two decades.
On top of that cost, comes the work needed to prepare the docking infrastructure for ferries that need to be plugged in.
In September, a staff report said the shoreside infrastructure project to include charging would cost about $42 million. But a more recent report pegs it at about $50.2 million.
The required infrastructure changes include the installation of charging towers in two locations, electric houses to store battery energy and electrical equipment, modified docks and locking systems, plus new in-water stabilization.
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Not only is this an environmentally friendly approach to revitalizing one of the most transit-connected sites in the city, but it brings a substantial amount of employment to the neighbourhood and will benefit Torontonians for generations to come as we continue to advance our long-term plans for Canada Square." The office retrofit project is an important step towards the planned redevelopment of the 9.2-acre site into a vibrant, mixed-use addition to the community. Oxford and CT REIT continue to advance plans for the west side of the site that contemplate a significant amount of critically needed new rental housing and public open space in one of the city's most transit-connected nodes. FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This press release contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, which reflect the current expectations of CTC and/or CT REIT management regarding future events and financial commitments concerning Canada Square. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release that address activities, events or developments that CTC and/or CT REIT or a third-party expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including with respect to the redevelopment of Canada Square and the assumptions underlying the same, are forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Although CTC and CT REIT management believe that the forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information, estimates and assumptions that are reasonable, such statements are necessarily subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual actions and results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. For more information on the material risks, uncertainties, factors and assumptions that could cause actual actions and results to differ materially from current expectations, refer to section 14.0 (Forward-Looking Information and Other Investor Communication) of CTC's 2025 First Quarter Management's Discussion and Analysis and all subsections therein, available on the SEDAR+ website at and and section 5 (Risk Factors) of CT REIT's Annual Information Form for fiscal 2024, and sections 12.0 (Enterprise Risk Management) and 14.0 (Forward-looking Information) of CT REIT's Management's Discussion and Analysis for Q1 2025 and fiscal 2024, as well as CT REIT's other public filings, all of which are available at and at CTC and CT REIT do not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by either of them or on their behalf, to reflect new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. ABOUT OXFORD PROPERTIES GROUP Oxford Properties Group ("Oxford") is a leading global real estate investor, developer and manager. Established in 1960, Oxford and its portfolio companies manage approximately C$80 billion of assets across four continents on behalf of their investment partners. Oxford's owned portfolio encompasses logistics, office, retail, multifamily residential, life sciences, credit and hotels in global gateway cities and high-growth hubs. A thematic investor with a committed source of capital, Oxford invests in properties, portfolios, development sites, debt, securities and real estate businesses across the risk-reward spectrum. Together with its portfolio companies, Oxford is one of the world's most active developers with over 70 projects currently underway globally across all major asset classes. Oxford is owned by OMERS, the Canadian defined benefit pension plan for Ontario's municipal employees. Learn more here. ABOUT CT REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST CT Real Estate Investment Trust ("CT REIT") is an unincorporated, closed-end real estate investment trust formed to own income-producing commercial properties located primarily in Canada. Its portfolio is comprised of over 375 properties totaling more than 31 million square feet of GLA, consisting primarily of net lease single-tenant retail properties across Canada. Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited, is CT REIT's most significant tenant. For more information, visit ABOUT CANADIAN TIRE CORPORATION Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited (TSX: CTC.A, TSX: CTC, "CTC") has been a proudly Canadian business since 1922. Guided by its brand purpose, "We are here to make life in Canada better," CTC has built an expansive national retail presence, exceptional customer brand trust and one of Canada's strongest workforces – employing, along with its local Dealers and franchisees, tens of thousands of Canadians. At its core are retail businesses, each designed to serve life's pursuits: Canadian Tire, offering products spanning Living, Playing, Fixing, Automotive, and Seasonal & Gardening, bolstered by notable banners Party City and PartSource; Mark's, a leading source for casual and industrial wear; SportChek, Hockey Experts, Sports Experts and Atmosphere, offering the best brands of active wear and gear; and Pro Hockey Life, a hockey specialty store catering to elite players. CTC's banners, brand partners and credit card offerings are unified through its Triangle Rewards loyalty program – a linchpin of CTC's customer-driven strategy. With nearly 12 million members, Triangle integrates first-party data to deliver valuable rewards and personalized experiences across nearly 1,700 retail and gasoline outlets. CTC also operates a retail petroleum business and a Financial Services business and holds a majority interest in CT REIT, a TSX-listed Canadian real estate investment trust. For more information, visit FOR MORE INFORMATION CT Real Estate Investment Trust: Investors: Lesley Gibson, (416) 480-8566, [email protected] Canadian Tire Corporation: Media: Stephanie Nadalin, (647) 271-7343, [email protected] Investors: Karen Keyes, (647) 518-4461, [email protected]
