ferry
A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...
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 ancho ...
,
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 Ca ...
, Canada. Now years old, she is one of several
Toronto Island ferries
The Toronto Island ferries connect the Toronto Islands in Lake Ontario to the mainland of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The main city-operated ferry services carry passengers (all) and commercial vehicles (some) from the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal a ...
operating between the
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 ...
at
Bay Street
Bay Street is a major thoroughfare in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the centre of Toronto's Financial District and is often used by metonymy to refer to Canada's financial services industry since succeeding Montreal's St. James Stree ...
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 ...
. She is the last sidewheel-propelled vessel on the Great Lakes.
History
The ship was built in 1910 by
Polson Iron Works
The Polson Iron Works was an Ontario-based firm which built large steam engines, as well as ships, barges and dredges.
Founded by William Polson (1834–1901) and son Franklin Bates Polson, the firm was incorporated in 1886 and it was one of t ...
at a cost of . The 1,450-capacity (reduced later to 995) ferry was built for and initially operated by the
Toronto Ferry Company
The Toronto Ferry Company was formed from the merger of the ''Doty Ferry Company'' with ''A.J. Tymon's Island Ferry Company'', two of Toronto's early ferry operators to Toronto Islands in 1890. TFC was founded and headed by businessman Lol Solman. ...
. She was launched on June 18, 1910, christened with a bottle of champagne by eight-year-old Phyllis Osler, granddaughter of politician Edmund Boyd Osler. The ferry entered service on July 1, 1910. ''Trilliums sister ship, ''Bluebell'' and other ferries ''Primrose'' and ''Mayflower'' in the company's fleet were also named after flowers.
In 1926, the City of Toronto acquired ''Trillium'' and the other ferries in the Toronto Ferry Company's fleet, and took over all ferry services. Nine boats and half-acre of land on Hanlan's Point was bought for . The ferry was remodelled by the Toronto Transit Commission, replacing worn woodwork and the main deck cabin, and removing the side gangways and officer daycabins.
''Trillium'' was retired in 1957 and sold for to the Toronto Works Department, which intended to use it to carry sewage sludge from the new Humber Sewage Treatment Plant. It was left to sink in a lagoon in the Toronto Islands, along with her sister vessel ''Bluebell.'' Unlike ''Bluebell'', which was converted to a garbage scow, ''Trillium'' was left to deteriorate, its metal fittings stripped by scavengers and souvenir hunters.
In the sixties, there was renewed interest in the ''Trillium''. First, in 1964, it was proposed to display the ''Trillium'' along with other historic boats at the
Toronto Maritime Museum
The Toronto Maritime Museum or Toronto Waterfront Museum or The Pier Museum (prior to 2000, Marine Museum or Marine Museum of Upper Canada) was a museum in Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontar ...
at the Exhibition grounds but the proposal failed. In 1965, it was then proposed to return the boat to service. Partly due to the advocacy of historian
Mike Filey
Mike Filey (October 11, 1941 – July 30, 2022) was a Canadian historian, radio host, journalist and author. He was awarded the Jean Hibbert Memorial Award in 2009 for promoting the city of Toronto and its history.
Early life
Born in 1941 in ...
and Toronto Parks Commissioner Tommy Thompson, Metro Toronto approved her restoration in 1973. The restoration at a cost of ($ in dollars), was chosen over building a new ferry which would have cost three to four million dollars.
Champion Engineering Ltd. supervised the restoration, which was done in
Port Colborne, Ontario
Port Colborne is a city in Ontario, Canada that is located on Lake Erie, at the southern end of the Welland Canal, in the Niagara Region of Southern Ontario. The original settlement, known as Gravelly Bay, dates from 1832 and was renamed after S ...
at the E. B. Magee drydock in Ramey's Bend. The restoration replaced the superstructure, boiler and deck. Original gauges and other 1910-era accessories were salvaged from Toronto Department of Public Works pumping stations. Other items were salvaged from the boats ''Imperial Windsor'' and ''Texaco Brave'' which were being scrapped. Several replicas were made of original parts, such as the brass bells and the beavers adorning the sides of the paddle boxes. The boat was rebuilt as close as possible to the original 1910 plans.
The ship returned to Toronto Harbour in November 1975. The ship was rechristened on June 18, 1976, 66 years after her first launch, the ceremony officiated by the same Phyllis Osler Aitken. She was returned to service on July 1, 1976, on runs to Hanlan's Point only, the other island ferry docks having been converted for the other ferries. This caused numerous complaints, notably Johnny Lombardi, who offered to get volunteers to rebuild the Centre Island docks in time for the annual CHIN picnic.
In 2017, ''Trillium'' was refurbished at a cost of . The refurbishment will extend its lifespan. The repairs included replacements to sections of the hull and rudder and three new coats of paint.
;Incidents
In 1910, ''Trillium'' helped douse a fire on the harbourfront. Toronto Ferry Company owner
Caribana festival
The Toronto Caribbean Carnival, formerly known as Caribana, is a festival of Caribbean culture and traditions held each summer in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is a pan-Caribbean Carnival event and has been billed as North America ...
. He jumped off at 11 pm on July 29, telling friends that he would meet them on shore at
Ontario Place
Ontario Place is an entertainment venue, event venue, and park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The venue is located on three artificial landscaped islands just off-shore in Lake Ontario, south of Exhibition Place, and southwest of Downtown Toronto. ...
. ''Trillium'' was about from shore. Police recovered his body on July 30. The victim's mother was hurt by speculation about his sobriety.
File:Trillium-dry-dock-2017.jpg, ''Trillium'' ferry in drydock in June 2017
File:Bluebell-ferry-1920-toronto.jpg , ''Bluebell'' Ferry in Toronto Harbour 1920
See also
* ''
Ongiara
''Ongiara'' is the third studio album by Canadian folk rock band Great Lake Swimmers, released on March 27, 2007. The album was released on Nettwerk.
The band recorded most of the album in London, Ontario's historic music venue Aeolian Hall wit ...
''
* ''
Sam McBride
Sam (Samuel) McBride (July 13, 1866 – November 14, 1936) was a two-time Mayor of Toronto serving his first term from 1928 to 1929 and his second term in 1936 which ended prematurely due to his death. He was also a member of the Orange Order ...