Toronto police and Transport Canada are investigating a passenger ferry crash at the city’s terminal dock over the weekend that injured 17 people. The cause of the collision was not yet known on Sunday. However, the city announced that ferry service between its downtown terminal and the Toronto Islands, a popular tourist destination, would operate on a modified schedule for the rest of the summer. “City staff will continue to work with Transport Canada, the Toronto Police Service and the Bureau of the Coast Guard while the investigation is ongoing,” the city’s Parks, Forestry and Recreation department said in a statement emailed to The Globe and Mail. “The City’s top priority is to protect the safety of the public, passengers and staff by ensuring our ferries meet Transport Canada safety standards and have required certificates.” This certification includes the annual Transport Canada safety and security certificate issued on June 21, 2022, and the engine and transmission inspection last issued on August 10, 2022, the statement added. The collision occurred shortly after 5pm local time on Saturday when the ferry, named the Sam McBride, hit the quay as it approached the Jack Layton ferry terminal in the heart of the city centre. About 900 people were on board. Seventeen were injured as a result of the collision, police said. Of those, 12 were treated and released at the scene. Five people, two of them children, were taken to hospital for further treatment. “None of the injuries are believed to be life-threatening,” Toronto Police Service spokesman David Hopkinson wrote in an e-mail Sunday. No one fell into the water from the collision. The Sam McBride, meanwhile, was taken out of service after the incident. “While in service, the Sam McBride had a crew of six trained and qualified in accordance with Transport Canada requirements – a marine and mate in the wheelhouse, and engineer in the engine room and three operators on deck,” the city’s statement added. Transport Canada had no comment Sunday. The city announced on Twitter that the passenger ferry service will operate on a reduced schedule, with only three ferries operating between the terminal and the Toronto Islands. Two of these vessels are passenger-only vessels and one will carry both vehicles and passengers. The city is discouraging unnecessary ferrying and warning passengers to expect longer wait times – a potential boon for local water taxi services. Pirate Taxi, for example, saw an immediate uptick in business after the ferry crash and expects that uptick to continue in the coming weeks. Peter Sutherland, a sea taxi captain with Pirate Taxi, said his first thoughts after the accident were to check that everyone on board was OK. But then it had to turn its attention to serving an immediate 20 percent increase in passengers as people sought alternative ways to get back into the city. The company’s eight taxis were very busy throughout Saturday night, transporting customers after 1am “We and the other taxi companies were already pretty close to capacity,” said Mr Sutherland, who said Pirate Taxi was considering increasing its staff or hours as a result of the crash. “We expect to see more volume now, particularly during the week.” One of the city’s most popular tourist attractions, Toronto Islands attracts about 1.5 million people each year, and a typical summer day can draw crowds of up to 20,000 people, according to the city’s website. “We have not found that there has been much disruption due to the reduction [ferry] schedule,” Lori Kirk, a spokeswoman for Centerville Luna Park on Center Island, said Sunday. With reports from the Canadian Press The Morning Update and Afternoon Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the day’s most important headlines. Sign up today.
