The first of two new electric ferries commissioned by the City of Toronto will soon begin its journey across the Atlantic Ocean before its expected December arrival.
A video showing the launch of the Lady of Quays ferry was posted by the city in late May, but there have been few updates on sea trials for the vessel since then. The city confirmed that the ferry, which has capacity for up to 650 passengers and 14 vehicles, was towed via tug boat from a Romanian shipyard to Istanbul.
General Manager of Fleet Services Abi Thomas said in an emailed statement the completed ferry will be loaded onto a ship and transported across the ocean. Thomas said once it begins its journey, residents will be able to track the journey online.
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The city’s strategic communications division declined multiple interview requests to provide more details. No details were provided on the status of construction of the second vessel commissioned by the city, named Toronto Islander, which is due for delivery sometime in early 2027.
Once each vessel arrives in the city, lake trials and crew training will need to be completed before passengers will be able to hop aboard. It’s unclear how long the testing period will take.
About 1.4 million passengers are carried across the city’s inner harbour by the current fleet of ferries, but all four are between 61 to 90 years old.
Although the procurement process to acquire new ferries began more than a decade ago, there have been several delays due to council changing its mind over the design. In 2018, council voted in favour of swapping the ferries to a hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system, but in 2022 it changed course again to fully electric models.
More than a year after a contract was signed with Dutch shipbuilding company Damen, councillors learned city staff hadn’t accounted for charging infrastructure at the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal. The discovery ended up seeing oversight of the city’s ferries shift to its fleet management division from parks and recreation.
When the vessels arrive, they will replace two of its current ferries, including the William Inglis, which struck a wharf in 2023 after it lost propulsion, injuring a crew member.
In 2022, the Sam McBride also crashed, injuring several passengers and lead to the Transportation Safety Board ruling the City of Toronto’s safety protocols had been lacking at the time of the incident.
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