Latest news with #TorontoIslands
CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Here's what the inside of Toronto's new electric ferry fleet will look like
A rendering of one of the new electric ferries that will service passengers to the Toronton Islands. (City of Toronto) After thousands of votes, the city has landed on an interior design for the new fleet of all-electric ferries that will sail to the Toronto Islands. With just more than half the 9,100 votes, at 51 per cent, the city revealed that Torontonians voted for the Art + Social design, which will be seen in the new fleet slated to take shore over the next two years. The city says the first boat arrives in late 2026. The first ferry is expected to hold up to 1,300 passengers without any vehicles on board, or half that capacity to be able to accommodate 14 vehicles. It will also be designed to be used all year round. ferry washroom A rendering of the ferry's washrooms. (City of Toronto) The second boat will be passenger-only with the same capacity, which is more than triple the capacity of the William Inglis, the vessel it is replacing. The boats are currently under construction in Romania, by Dutch shipbuilding company Damen. The city approved the purchase of the two electric ferries last July, at a cost of $92 million—far surpassing the budgeted $25 million in 2020. They opted for the costlier choice to meet their emissions reduction targets. The upcoming ships will replace the city's current fleet (excluding the Trillium heritage ferry), which have surpassed the average age of retirement for the boating industry, ranging in age from 61 to 114 years. 'The design of the new electric ferries will pay homage to the historical character of the city's ferry fleet, will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the ridership experience for Toronto Island residents and visitors,' the city said online. Interior A rendering of the approved interior design of Toronto's upcoming all-electric ferry fleet. (City of Toronto) Officials say the electric ferries will boost passenger experience with accessible washrooms, increased passenger capacity, more efficient passenger flow, and upgraded accessibility with wider ramps. About 1.4 million people used the ferries annually, the city says.
CBC
21-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Gondola, tunnel or bridge? Toronto city council eyes improved island access
Toronto city councillors are being asked to create a task force to accelerate expanded access to the Toronto islands, work that includes long-term and pricey options like a possible bridge, tunnel or gondola to the popular park. City staff are recommending that council create the new group to accelerate access improvements to the Toronto Island Park which has over 1.8 million visitors every year. The debate comes after the city's aging ferry fleet struggled with service outages last year, sometimes resulting in long delays to access the park. "I think it's not a bad idea to explore," Mayor Olivia Chow said of options the task force could consider. "Maybe they are too fanciful. We don't know until we examine the possibilities." The mayor's executive committee approved in principle the creation of the task force last week, but city council will make the final call at a meeting that starts Wednesday. The task force will look at short and medium-term options to expand access like more water taxis and relief ferries. It will also look at long-term solutions like building a bridge, tunnel or gondola, which staff have warned could cost more than $100 million. "The constraints would not make a fixed link project impossible, but they do indicate that such a project would not be quick, simple or inexpensive," staff said of the fixed link in a report to council. WATCH | Torontonians frustrated at long lines to island ferry: Torontonians frustrated at long lines for island ferry 10 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. Council approved the purchase of two new electric ferries to replace a pair of vessels but the first of those ships won't be delivered until next year. Staff said last year the purchase will cost taxpayers $85 million. Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik, whose downtown ward includes the islands, has been pushing for expanded access to the park since last summer. The space is as close to a backyard as many downtown apartment and condo residents can get, but accessing it can be a problem, she said. "I know what an ordeal it can be to get to, especially in our peak summer months," she said. "We've heard it and we've experienced it: the lineups, the heat and sometimes the uncertainty." Councillor Paula Fletcher, who represents the neighbouring ward, which is home to the Port Lands said building a bridge, tunnel or gondola is easier said than done. The city doesn't own the land where the gap between the city and island is the narrowest — around 220 to 265 metres — and the waterway is a live shipping lane. "I'm just saying it's really a factor here that sometimes we forget about and it's still a working port," she said. Deputy Mayor Mike Colle voted against establishing the task force at the mayor's executive committee and does not support expanding access to the islands, saying increased visitor traffic will damage habitat and natural spaces. "Leave it alone," he urged his fellow councillors. "These hare-brained ideas. I mean, the only gondola I'd like to see is like the one they have in Venice."
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
After an iconic landmark was destroyed, Toronto Island residents are coming together to rebuild
A group of Toronto Island residents are coming together to rebuild The Ward's Island Association Clubhouse after it burned down in a devastating fire in March 2024. CBC's Talia Ricci spoke to volunteers about how they are bringing the site back to life.
CBC
14-05-2025
- General
- CBC
After an iconic landmark was destroyed, Toronto Island residents are coming together to rebuild
A group of Toronto Island residents are coming together to rebuild The Ward's Island Association Clubhouse after it burned down in a devastating fire in March 2024. CBC's Talia Ricci spoke to volunteers about how they are bringing the site back to life.
