City of Toronto government
The municipal government of Toronto ( incorporated as the City of Toronto) is the local government responsible for administering the city of Toronto in the Canadian province of Ontario. Its structure and powers are set out in the '' City of Tor ...
. The ferry serves the
Toronto Islands
The Toronto Islands are a chain of 15 small islands in Lake Ontario, south of mainland Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Comprising the only group of islands in the western part of Lake Ontario, the Toronto Islands are located just offshore from the ...
from a dock at
Jack Layton Ferry Terminal
The Jack Layton Ferry Terminal (formerly called the Toronto Island Ferry Docks) is the ferry slip for Toronto Island ferries operated by the City of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division. Three ferry routes provide transportation betwee ...
in downtown
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
namesake
A namesake is a person, geographic location, or other entity bearing the name of another.
History
The word is first attested around 1635, and probably comes from the phrase "for one's name's sake",
which originates in English Bible translations ...
was a former
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members t ...
and
Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
, who had been the founding chairman of the
Toronto Transportation Commission
Toronto Transportation Commission (TTC) was the public transit operator in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, beginning in 1921. It operated buses, streetcars and the island ferries. The system was renamed the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) in 1954.
H ...
, which at the time the ferry was built, ran the ferries to the island.
As per Transport Canada requirements, the ferry operates with a crew of six consisting of a marine captain and mate in the wheelhouse, an engineer in the engine room and three deckhands on deck.
Operational history
On June 20, 1941, a Norwegian
Northrop N-3PB
The Northrop N-3PB Nomad was a single-engined American floatplane of the 1940s. Northrop developed the N-3PB as an export model based on the earlier Northrop A-17 design. A total of 24 were purchased by Norway, but were not delivered until a ...
seaplane clipped the second deck of the ferry. The plane was destroyed after hitting the waters, and the two crew members, Instructor Lieutenant Finn Strand Kjos and student pilot Tron Harsvik, on board were killed. Damage was sustained to upper deck and later repaired.
She was transferred from the TTC to Metro Parks and Culture department in 1962 (and by Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division since 1998).
The ship was dry docked in 1973 to replace her engines.
In October 2012,
Toronto City Council
Toronto City Council is the governing body of the municipal government of Toronto, Ontario. Meeting at Toronto City Hall, it comprises 25 city councillors and the mayor of Toronto. The current term began on November 15, 2022.
Structure
The c ...
decided that funds should be set aside to replace ''Sam McBride'' and her two fleet-mates, '' Thomas Rennie'' and ''William Inglis'' with new vessels.
In 2019, there were two incidents where a throttle malfunction prevented the engines from being put into reverse. The ability to put the engines into reverse is needed to slow and stop the ferry as the ferry has no other braking mechanism. With a throttle malfunction, the ferry can still be steered. There were no injuries from either incident, but the ferry was temporarily pulled from service for repairs and testing.
Shortly after 5 PM on August 20, 2022 the ferry hit the mainland dock resulting in 12 passengers requiring medical attention and a suspension of ferry service to the islands for the rest of the day. There were 912 passengers and 6 crew members on board the ferry at the time of the collision. , the cause of the collision was unknown; the Transportation Safety Board of Canada said it would investigate the crash. After two days in dock for inspection, Transport Canada cleared the ferry to go back into service. The cause of the 2022 incident was a throttle malfunction affecting both the bow and stern main engines, that prevented the ferry from stopping.
On September 1, 2022, the Sam McBride suffered another throttle malfunction while docking; there were no passenger injuries, but the ferry was again pulled from service. The problem was traced to a software issue. The ferry returned to service after testing.
See also
* ''
PS Trillium
''Trillium'' is a side wheeler ferry operated by the City of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Now years old, she is one of several Toronto Island ferries operating between the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal at ...
''
* ''
Ongiara (ferry)
The ''Ongiara'' is a -year-old Toronto Island ferries, Toronto Island ferry operated by the Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division, Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division of the City of Toronto government. The ferry serves the Toronto I ...