History
The first ferry to cross Toronto Harbour to what are now the Toronto Islands was in 1833, using a boat called Sir John of the Peninsular and operated by Michael O'Connor. At the time, the "islands" were still a peninsula, connected to the mainland at their eastern end. Other ferries soon followed, including both the Toronto, a steamboat, and the Peninsular Packet, which was propelled by paddle wheels driven by a horse. A storm in 1858 split the islands from the mainland, and increased the need for ferries.
Throughout the rest of the 19th century ferries proliferated, with most being paddle steamers operated by individual owners. Eventually two competing ferry companies came into being, the Turner Ferry Company and A.J. Tymon's Island Ferry Company. The assets of the Turner Ferry Company were subsequently bought by the John Doty Engine & Ferry Company, which in turn merged with A.J. Tymon's Island Ferry Company in 1892 to form the Toronto Ferry Company.
In 1906 and 1910, the Toronto Ferry Company built two sister ships, both being double-decked double-ended paddle steamers, with a capacity of 1450 passengers. They were named Bluebell and Trillium. They were retired in 1955 and 1957 respectively, but Trillium survived and re-entered service in 1976. She is still in service and is operated by the Great Lakes Schooner Company for Corporate functions and Private Functions, as well as ferry runs throughout the summer. She is now 100 years old.
The Toronto Ferry Company continued to operate the ferry services until 1926, when their services and fleet was purchased by the City of Toronto and transferred to the Toronto Transportation Commission (TTC, later renamed the Toronto Transit Commission), the body that operates the city's transit system. The three double ended, diesel engined and screw driven ferries that form the backbone of today's service to the islands were all built for the TTC, these being the William Inglis in 1935, the Sam McBride in 1939, and the Thomas Rennie in 1951.
In 1938 the Toronto Harbour Commission commenced operating a ferry service to the new Toronto Island Airport, then under construction. A scow was adapted for use as a cable ferry, with the intention that this ferry would operate for a five-year period. However the scow remained in service for twenty-five years before being replaced by the ferry Maple City. The backup ferry Windmill Point was acquired in 1985 and a new replacement ferry, TCCA1, in 2006.
In 1961 the ferry services operated by the TTC were transferred to Metro Toronto Parks and Culture, a department of the then Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto. In 1997 the metropolitan municipality was merged with its member municipalities, becoming the enlarged City of Toronto, and the park ferry services became the responsibility of city's Department of Parks and Recreation. In 2005 responsibility for these services was transferred to the city's Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division, where it remains. The airport ferry remains the responsibility of the TPA.
Read more about this topic: Toronto Island Ferry
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