Toronto Harbour Ferries

[Admiral Beez]

The reference was to the kitchen/restaurant staff being all male.

Lol, no, no....

"What was charmingly anachronistic a decade ago now looks more like poverty porn. Decaying piers, rotting coils of rope littered with cigarette butts, clouds of black smoke from the diesel stacks and, improbably in 2022, all-male crews: scores of old codgers below decks refilling cup noodles from curiously large kettles."

It's referring to their own food for personal consumption. It's a bit of a cultural dig, IMO. They don't serve food on the Star Ferry, at least not on the upper deck that I traveled multiple times on.

 

[crs1026]

Do they even have food services on Toronto ferries? I can't say I've ever ventured too far from the edge of the railings, and can't recall ever travelling in poor weather. It's cetainly ubiquitous on longer ferry services world-wide - in my experience.

It's common elsewhere, but I would question the need or viability in Toronto. The ride is too short to serve many people per trip, the space constraints would limit menu to packaged items, and the cash flow would probably not support the labour cost. Vending machines in the terminal would suffice.

The charm of the Toronto ferry service, in contrast to say Halifax or Vancouver, is that it’s slow enough to be a pause and not a “sea bus” - but short enough not to get tedious. The outdoor experience is its best amenity imho.

Having said that, selling cold water bottles at a good price to the long lineups on hot summer weekends, especially on the island side waiting to ride home, would be a gold mine.

- Paul

 

[nfitz]

Lol, no, no....

"What was charmingly anachronistic a decade ago now looks more like poverty porn. Decaying piers, rotting coils of rope littered with cigarette butts, clouds of black smoke from the diesel stacks and, improbably in 2022, all-male crews: scores of old codgers below decks refilling cup noodles from curiously large kettles."

It's referring to their own food for personal consumption. It's a bit of a cultural dig, IMO. They don't serve food on the Star Ferry, at least not on the upper deck that I traveled multiple times on.

Ah, I see your point. An odd dig - perhaps from someone who hasn't worked in a bog-standard office for a decade or two - where many people poor water from kettles on noodles for lunch - young and old.

Personally I nuke mine.

 

[just east of the creek]

I'm here in Hong Kong today - my photo below. It's my fifth or sixth visit here since 2001, and I always go straight to the ferry. It's so iconic I even have a model Star Ferry on my book shelf at home.

View attachment 629766

Rather than replace them with a bridge, Toronto should make the island ferries a greater part of our city's brand. I also like the double decker side load and offloading that gets people and the vessels rotating through their trips much faster than the single dropping bow door, akin to the opening scene in Saving Private Ryan that Toronto uses.

Completely agree. I usually stay next to the exhibition centre at pier 1929 on Won Chai, and take the ferry back and forth. Spectacular at night. Especially if there is a light show going on. Obviously one large difference is the Toronto Ferries not running from urban area to urban area, but that should not alter the impact the Toronto ferries have had and can continue to still have as a looked for experience and as a ‘brand’.

Next we need a mountain and a tram.

 

[lenaitch]

Next we need a mountain and a tram.

If Dougie bilds his 401 tunnel, you'll have mountain.

 

[txlseries4]

Saw this survey by the city shared online about the ticketing (mentions integrating Presto) and experience at the terminal.

Toronto Island Park Ferry Passenger Experience

ca.mar.medallia.com

To support our continuous improvement efforts, the City is seeking feedback directly from Toronto residents and visitors to Toronto Island Park on your experiences with the ferry service and additional ways of improving the service.

We invite your participation to help us improve the service through this survey, which is anonymous and will take approximately 10 to 15 minutes to complete.

The survey will close at 11:45 PM on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Completely agree. I usually stay next to the exhibition centre at pier 1929 on Won Chai, and take the ferry back and forth. Spectacular at night. Especially if there is a light show going on.

I stayed at the Novotel Century and walked to the ferry every day, often twice. I had a meeting at the Canadian consulate and took the ferry from Wan Chai across to TST and then back across to Central just to skip the walk and enjoy the ferry. My grandparents lived on the Isle of Wight and I fondly recall the ferry from Portsmouth across. In 2022 I took the ferry from Cape Cod to Martha’s Vineyard. I do like ferries.

So, I’d like to see modernized, rapid-loading ferries for Toronto.

 

[ProjectEnd]

Lol, no, no....

"What was charmingly anachronistic a decade ago now looks more like poverty porn. Decaying piers, rotting coils of rope littered with cigarette butts, clouds of black smoke from the diesel stacks and, improbably in 2022, all-male crews: scores of old codgers below decks refilling cup noodles from curiously large kettles."

It's referring to their own food for personal consumption. It's a bit of a cultural dig, IMO. They don't serve food on the Star Ferry, at least not on the upper deck that I traveled multiple times on.

Ah, I see your point. An odd dig - perhaps from someone who hasn't worked in a bog-standard office for a decade or two - where many people poor water from kettles on noodles for lunch - young and old.

Personally I nuke mine.

The writer is establishing context and creating atmosphere for the piece. It's the most basic of literary devices and I'm lost as to why you're both still on about the damn noodles...

It's common elsewhere, but I would question the need or viability in Toronto. The ride is too short to serve many people per trip, the space constraints would limit menu to packaged items, and the cash flow would probably not support the labour cost. Vending machines in the terminal would suffice.

The charm of the Toronto ferry service, in contrast to say Halifax or Vancouver, is that it’s slow enough to be a pause and not a “sea bus” - but short enough not to get tedious. The outdoor experience is its best amenity imho.

Having said that, selling cold water bottles at a good price to the long lineups on hot summer weekends, especially on the island side waiting to ride home, would be a gold mine.

- Paul

Agreed entirely here, Paul. I would say that in a North American context, any vending requires a ton of administrative nonsense and the result usually isn't worth the input. Allowing independent vendors to do this solves many problems but is (unfortunately) impossible in the Toronto context (even though, when done illegally, it's almost never an issue - we're talking about sealed effing water bottles here).

Completely agree. I usually stay next to the exhibition centre at pier 1929 on Won Chai, and take the ferry back and forth. Spectacular at night. Especially if there is a light show going on. Obviously one large difference is the Toronto Ferries not running from urban area to urban area, but that should not alter the impact the Toronto ferries have had and can continue to still have as a looked for experience and as a ‘brand’.

Next we need a mountain and a tram.

Centennial 'Ski' Hill?

I stayed at the Novotel Century and walked to the ferry every day, often twice. I had a meeting at the Canadian consulate and took the ferry from Wan Chai across to TST and then back across to Central just to skip the walk and enjoy the ferry. My grandparents lived on the Isle of Wight and I fondly recall the ferry from Portsmouth across. In 2022 I took the ferry from Cape Cod to Martha’s Vineyard. I do like ferries.

So, I’d like to see modernized, rapid-loading ferries for Toronto.

As do I. I also don't see why a regulated private market couldn't also this demand? I mean, we already have the water taxis, why can't those same companies use bigger boats in a regulated environment? The fact that we still rely on an aquatic jitney service is wild in this City...

 

[Northern Light]

Centennial 'Ski' Hill?

The decommissioned ski hill?

As do I. I also don't see why a regulated private market couldn't also this demand? I mean, we already have the water taxis, why can't those same companies use bigger boats in a regulated environment? The fact that we still rely on an aquatic jitney service is wild in this City...

I don't have a problem with Ferries being a public service, they are in most of Canada, BC Ferries being notable but also the Ferry from Halifax to Dartmouth which is run by Halifax Transit.

I also don't have a problem with a private service, with some consideration as to why its normally a public service in much of the world (requirement to run off-season, every day of the year, and to be broadly affordable)

****

I do have a problem with the fact Toronto Parks is the operator. Lets grant the TTC is full of 'issues'........but really, a transit agency should be the one running a public transit service.

If nothing else, that would, presumably, result in integration into PRESTO which would be handy.

I think Parks has made a complete hash of the replacement program, first by way of delays before even trying to move ahead, years if not decades late, then by switching mid-stream to electric ferries at considerably greater cost and cause further delays measured in years.

They've proved incapable of administering this program/service and should be outstered forthwith.

 

[DSCToronto]

The decommissioned ski hill?



I don't have a problem with Ferries being a public service, they are in most of Canada, BC Ferries being notable but also the Ferry from Halifax to Dartmouth which is run by Halifax Transit.

I also don't have a problem with a private service, with some consideration as to why its normally a public service in much of the world (requirement to run off-season, every day of the year, and to be broadly affordable)

****

I do have a problem with the fact Toronto Parks is the operator. Lets grant the TTC is full of 'issues'........but really, a transit agency should be the one running a public transit service.

If nothing else, that would, presumably, result in integration into PRESTO which would be handy.

I think Parks has made a complete hash of the replacement program, first by way of delays before even trying to move ahead, years if not decades late, then by switching mid-stream to electric ferries at considerably greater cost and cause further delays measured in years.

They've proved incapable of administering this program/service and should be outstered forthwith.

The TTC ran the ferries between 1927 and 1962 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Island_ferries). Though I agree that PFR has nor run them well, I would worry about excess short-turns if the TTC took over again.

PFR told me pre-covid that they were 'investigating' using PRESTO - it really does seem like a no brainer! (Now they might be better to move straight to CC or debit card tap!)

 

[JJTheJetPln]

The TTC ran the ferries between 1927 and 162 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Island_ferries). Though I agree that PFR has nor run them well, I would worry about excess short-turns if the TTC took over again.

PFR told me pre-covid that they were 'investigating' using PRESTO - it really does seem like a no brainer! (Now they might be better to move straight to CC or debit card tap!)

That would actually be a pretty cool integration and I'd wager that you might find me travelling on the ferry more often if that were a thing.

 

[Northern Light]

The TTC ran the ferries between 1927 and 1962 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Island_ferries). Though I agree that PFR has nor run them well, I would worry about excess short-turns if the TTC took over again.

Turning back mid-way to the Islands would mean restocking the life jackets at every return to port, I assume...... LOL

PFR told me pre-covid that they were 'investigating' using PRESTO - it really does seem like a no brainer! (Now they might be better to move straight to CC or debit card tap!)

Agreed.

 

[MisterF]

The TTC ran the ferries between 1927 and 1962 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Island_ferries). Though I agree that PFR has nor run them well, I would worry about excess short-turns if the TTC took over again.

Attention passengers, this boat is out of service halfway to Centre Island. All passengers must leave the ferry. This boat is out of service.

 

[JJTheJetPln]

Attention passengers, this boat is out of service halfway to Centre Island. All passengers must leave the ferry. This boat is out of service.

Followed by a bunch of boat taxis swarming the ferry.

 

[ProjectEnd]

The decommissioned ski hill?



I don't have a problem with Ferries being a public service, they are in most of Canada, BC Ferries being notable but also the Ferry from Halifax to Dartmouth which is run by Halifax Transit.

I also don't have a problem with a private service, with some consideration as to why its normally a public service in much of the world (requirement to run off-season, every day of the year, and to be broadly affordable)

****

I do have a problem with the fact Toronto Parks is the operator. Lets grant the TTC is full of 'issues'........but really, a transit agency should be the one running a public transit service.

If nothing else, that would, presumably, result in integration into PRESTO which would be handy.

I think Parks has made a complete hash of the replacement program, first by way of delays before even trying to move ahead, years if not decades late, then by switching mid-stream to electric ferries at considerably greater cost and cause further delays measured in years.

They've proved incapable of administering this program/service and should be outstered forthwith.

Same page. I'm saying it would be an 'and', not an 'instead of' idea. The ferry - regardless of who operates it - should remain a municipal affair, but it could / should be augmented by private operators on boats larger than your uncle's Pontooneruski...