Latest news with #PortsToronto
CBC
14-06-2025
- General
- CBC
Hanlan's Beach is getting a bubble zone to keep away motorized boats and vehicles
Toronto police's marine unit will create a bubble zone around Hanlan's Beach as a pilot project this summer to improve safety for swimmers, kayakers and paddleboarders. The "motorized watercraft exclusion zone" will extend 200 metres off the shoreline of Hanlan's Beach, the marine unit said in a news release on Friday. The pilot project is being introduced with the help of the city and Ports Toronto, the marine unit added. All motorized vessels, including personal watercrafts such as Sea-Doos and Jet Skis, powerboats and sailboats, will be banned from entering the designated area. The marine unit says "clearly marked buoys" will be set out on Monday to make the boundaries of the zone clear and marine unit officers will patrol regularly to ensure there is compliance, using education, safety checks and enforcement when necessary. "The Toronto Police Service Marine Unit remains committed to the safety and security of our waterways and beaches," the marine unit said in the release. As well, a 400-metre "quiet zone" is in effect along Hanlan's Beach, which means boaters must keep music and amplified sound at reasonable levels, the marine unit said. "Sound travels further on water, and this measure is intended to preserve the enjoyment of all beach and water users," the marine unit said. According to the marine unit, the exclusion zone is supported by the Canada Marine Act and will be formally listed in the PortsToronto Rules and Procedures, Port Authority Regulations.
CTV News
28-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
New details released of proposed hovercraft service between downtown Toronto and Niagara Region
A rendering of a hovercraft that an Ontario company says can travel from Toronto to Niagara Region in 30 minutes is seen here. (Hoverlink Ontario Inc.) New details are emerging about a proposed hovercraft service that aims to transport tourists and commuters alike across Lake Ontario between Toronto and Niagara Region in just 30 minutes. At an event at the Toronto Region Board of Trade on Wednesday, officials with Hoverlink Ontario explained how the service, which recently cleared a significant hurdle, will alleviate congestion along one of province's busiest highways and make it more attractive for people to travel to two of Ontario's largest tourist destinations. Last month, officials confirmed that a 30-year agreement had been signed with Ports Toronto, bringing the service one step closer to reality. Chris Morgan, the founder and CEO of Hoverlink, called the development 'the beginning of a new era of rapid transit.' 'This is not just a rapid transportation project. It is an economic development catalyst, a tourism accelerator,' he said. How will the service work? Passengers will travel by hovercraft between Billy Bishop Airport and a facility that will be built at Port Weller, St. Catharines. The total trip time is estimated to be 30 minutes. The amphibious vehicle is designed to travel over land, water, ice, and other surfaces. Blowers produce a large volume of air below the hull of the vessel to create an air cushion, allowing it to float 1.8 metres above the surface. Additional fans and propellers move the craft forward. Hovercrafts are currently used by the Canadian Coast Guard for rescue and icebreaking missions. Officials say that while the vessels have been used for decades to transport people in the United Kingdom, a similar passenger service does not yet exist in North America. 'We intend to make it a way of life here on Lake Ontario,' Erika Potrz, the president of Hoverlink Ontario, told CTV News on Wednesday. Who is the target market for the service? The company says both tourists and commuters will benefit from the Hoverlink. 'Hoverlink would allow Torontonians to quickly visit the wineries and the beautiful hinterland of Niagara-on-the-Lake, or unleash new possibilities for regional tourism, employment, and housing between Toronto and St. Catharines,' Morgan said. Operating at full capacity, the company says Hoverlink would result in 8,000 fewer cars on the QEW each day. When will the hovercraft service launch? No official timeline has been announced for the launch of service but Potrz said Hoverlink has done everything it can to facilitate getting the service up and running as soon as possible. How many passengers can the hovercraft hold? The craft can hold 180 passengers plus crew. How frequently will it run? The company says it is capable of making 48 trips daily and will operate 365 days a year. How much will it cost to ride the hovercraft? Ticket pricing has not been released but the company says it will be 'comparable to other existing ground public transit option fares in the region.' How will I get to my destination after I arrive at the Hoverlink terminal in St. Catharines? Potrz said Hoverlink will operate its own shuttle buses in St. Catharines with limited stops. It will take passengers to the Fallsview Hilton, downtown Niagara-on-the-Lake, Fort George, and Niagara College. 'We will invite some of our key partners to have their shuttle buses come and pick up folks,' she added. 'We are looking at how do we package up tickets with entities in Niagara Region, as well as in Toronto, to encourage and ensure that all of our businesses win.' Has this been tried before? There have been two previous attempts to connect Toronto to other regions via Lake Ontario, including a short-lived ferry service to Rochester, N.Y. and a previous project that used hydrofoils. 'People often say, 'This has tried before and it's failed,'' Potrz said. 'Failure predicates success.' She said the previous two attempts were 'marred with issues,' adding that there has 'never been anything like' the Hoverlink service on Lake Ontario before. 'They (previous projects) were marred with issues because the craft competency was not available. They were hydrofoils. Hydrofoils cross Lake Ontario maybe six months of the year, create a really uncomfortable experience for consumers, and they really are not competent to craft in all weather types,' she said. 'There was a ferry to Rochester, and that was predicated on cargo movement, very different than a commuter and tourism strategy. We have 40 million tourists between Niagara Region and Toronto. What a better market to launch a marine transit service into with a craft that is military grade.' Potrz said the company wants to make transportation 'fun again.' 'Somebody's coming in to see a concert at Live Nation, we are going to have a DJ on board. We are going to make this fun,' she said. 'There is going to be an experiential portion to what we do everyday to make sure people want to ride on the hovercraft.'
Toronto Star
11-05-2025
- General
- Toronto Star
City's only clothing-optional beach to get wider berth from motorized boats, jet skis
Toronto's only clothing-optional beach on Hanlan's Point will have a no-go zone for motorized watercraft this boating season. The city pilot project, banning jet skis, powerboats and sailboats from within 200 metres of the shoreline, begins this month at Hanlan's Point Beach — one of the Toronto Islands beaches. The zone is meant to enhance safety and improve experiences for the beachgoers, says a news release from PortsToronto. 'Too often, the beach's clothing-optional status is misunderstood or abused, with some treating it as a place where anything goes,' undermining the 'respectful, low-key culture the beach depends on,' Friends of Hanlan's community group said in a statement welcoming the new 200-metre zone. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Launched in a partnership with the City of Toronto, PortsToronto and the Toronto Police Services marine unit, the motorized watercraft exclusion area will extend into Lake Ontario from the west-facing beach. It is also intended provide a safe area for those using nonmotorized boats like kayaks, canoes and paddleboards. Buoys will be installed this month and the police marine unit will patrol the area throughout the season, according to the PortsToronto release. The city has also implemented a reduced noise zone extending 400 metres from the shore to encourage boaters to keep things at 'respectful levels,' since sound carries farther over water, the release explains. 'These measures were shaped by two years of advocacy and research into best practices from other cities, and we're pleased to see them moving ahead,' reads the Friends of Hanlan's statement. The group said that since 2015, nearby music festivals, an increase in boat traffic and 'the pandemic-era boom in private watercraft have altered the beach's atmosphere.' As well, 'leisure boaters who raft up close to shore, blast music, and treat the space like a party zone' have become a problem, they said, adding that illegal party charters have also become an issue. 'Hanlan's is not just a beach — it's a civic space built on freedom, respect, and tradition.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'I am glad this plan is moving forward to keep the waters and all users at Hanlan's beach safe,' said local Coun. Ausma Malik (Spadina—Fort York) in a statement on Saturday. 'As a critical gathering place for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community for over 80 years, it is important to me that people can access and enjoy Hanlan's safely,' said Malik, who raised a motion last year requesting city staff work with PortsToronto and Toronto police on the exclusion zone. Malik said 'many people who use Hanlan's felt unsafe from disruptive activity from the large number of boats near the beach.' Hanlan's Point Beach is one of the oldest clothing-optional beaches in the world since its designation in the 1890s, according to the Friends of Hanlan's statement. By the late 1930s, the group says the beach had 'quietly become a gathering place for Toronto's queer community,' and in 1971 it was the site of Canada's first Pride celebration. 'Today, it remains Canada's oldest surviving queer space.' This Matters Why Hanlan's Point is important to Toronto history Seen for decades as an 2SLGBTQ+-friendly space, Hanlan's Point was the site of Canada's first Malik said feedback on the zone excluding motorized watercraft will be gathered by PortsToronto and the city over the next several months. A public survey by the city will be available online throughout the summer, and comments can also be submitted via email.
CBC
08-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
A hovercraft could take you between Toronto and Niagara in 30 minutes
An Ontario company has signed a deal with Ports Toronto to run a marine hovercraft that will shuttle passengers from Toronto to Niagara in 30 minutes. Erika Portz, president and interim chief operating officer of Hoverlink Ontario Inc., breaks down the company's plans on Metro Morning.
CBC
08-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
City could explore a bridge, tunnel or even a gondola to get more visitors to Toronto islands
Social Sharing The city could soon start exploring options for getting more people to the popular Toronto Island Park, including the construction of a fixed structure like a bridge, tunnel or even an overhead gondola. A new staff report heading to executive committee on Tuesday recommends council strike a task force that includes members from key city organizations — such as Waterfront Toronto and Ports Toronto — to begin looking at near, medium and long-term solutions for easing travel to and from the islands. The idea of a permanent link between the mainland and the islands is not new and multiple proposals have been brought forward over the years. But the possibility has gained more attention recently as the city's aging ferry fleet has struggled to meet demand and long lines at ferry terminals and water taxi docks have become commonplace during the summer months. "I know what a pain it can be to get to the island, especially during those peak months when we all want to be there," said Coun. Ausma Malik in an interview with CBC Radio's Metro Morning on Thursday. Malik is deputy mayor and a member of the executive committee. She also tabled the 2024 motion that asked staff to put together a summary of potential options for improving access to the islands that are included in the new report. The report lays out several potential options for a fixed link spanning the Eastern Gap, the waterway separating Ward's Island on the west side from the Port Lands on the east. The gap is roughly 220 metres to 265 metres wide and could plausibly be spanned by a number of different pedestrian and cyclist bridge designs, or an underwater tunnel or gondola. There are a host of potential pitfalls with any plan for a fixed link, however, the report says. "The constraints would not make a fixed link project impossible, but they do indicate that such a project would not be quick, simple or inexpensive. Further, a fixed link would not replace the need for planned short-and medium-term investments in Toronto Island access, many of which are underway now," it says. A bridge would cost at least $100 million, while the other options would likely be costlier, and take a decade or more to complete. The Eastern Gap is a critical shipping channel and any protracted disruption could cost millions in economic losses, the report says. There are also myriad technical concerns, such as navigational clearance for ships, height restrictions and jurisdictional issues in Toronto Harbour. WATCH | Long ferry lines frustrated many in the city last summer: Torontonians frustrated at long lines for island ferry 10 months ago Duration 2:54 Similarly, there is currently very limited public transportation to the area of the Port Lands where a fixed link would be built, and the situation is not likely to improve until about 2040, staff says. Ward's Island and Cherry Beach are also designated as environmentally significant areas and provincially significant wetlands. "A fixed link should therefore be thought of as a potential long-term project, possibly to coincide with the future development of planned mixed-use precincts in the Port Lands, with the potential to complement, not replace, existing initiatives," the report continues. There are a number of measures already underway to get more people to the islands, Malik said. The city has increased the number of licenses for water taxis, with 53 operating last year and another five set to begin running this summer. Two new fully electric ferries are set to come online soon, one in 2026 and the second in 2027. Waterfront Toronto is also reviewing a possible "sea bus" pilot program that could offer east-west service along the harbour and trips to Toronto Island Park, Malik said.
