Sneak preview of the new Toronto Island ferry design, from Toronto Island Advisory Committee meeting today at City Hall.

The new ferries will more or less keep the iconic look we all know. All the existing ferries will be replaced in coming years; they are all far past their operational lifetime. There’s funding now for two boats, one for passengers only, the other for passengers and vehicles. Two more will come later. They are longer than the present ferries, about a metre wider, with greater capacity, and are designed to use the same docks.

The new passenger-only ferry will hold around 1300 people versus 800 or 900 now.

The passenger/vehicle ferry will hold around 650 people or more depending the number of vehicles. They will be electricity-diesel hybrids. Possibly we’ll see the first new ferry as early as 2021. Washrooms are on both floors. This passenger/vehicle ferry will be able to break ice only to some extent, as an ice breaker ferry designed to break thick ice would be prohibitively expensive.

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AGM & Speaker Series 20 - February 24

Join us on Tuesday, February 24, at 7:00 pm on Zoom.

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Waterfront for All - Annual General Meeting

With our Speaker Series 20 guests:

Bryan Bowen, Director, Port Lands, CreateTO

Johanna Kyte, Senior Manager, Government & Community Relations, Toronto & Region Conservation

All organizational members and all individuals who have joined (by making a donation of $20 OR MORE) are able to vote at the AGM!

Click here to RSVP

ABOUT WATERFRONT FOR ALL

Waterfront renewal continues apace, but it’s far

from complete. Progress on the waterfront needs

to be celebrated and supported by citizens,

otherwise it may lose momentum or die altogether.

From Etobicoke to Scarborough, we invite citizens

and groups from across Toronto to work together

to keep the revitalization and beautification of our

waterfront moving forward.

Please consider helping our all-volunteer grassroots efforts to bring you this Speaker Series, bring a community voice to the Toronto Waterfront, and work for an accessible, safe, and enjoyable Waterfront for All!

Click here to donate.

Speaker Series 19

Let's Go To The Ex!

We had a great talk on December 9th on Zoom from Don Boyle, CEO of Exhibition Place, about the new plans and program ideas for our historic waterfront venue and fairground. Don's deck is here.

Speaker Series 18: A Romance of Ferries

WFA Speaker Series talk on Toronto ferries.

On Tuesday November 18, 2025, Ron Jenkins delivered a fascinating Zoom talk on the ferries that have been moving people across Toronto Harbour to the Islands for the last two centuries. The deck is here.