'Expect long wait times': Two Toronto Island ferries out of service

Those visiting the Toronto Islands this weekend could see longer wait times when returning to the city as two of the five ferry boats will be out of service.

The city says the Thomas Rennie, which has a capacity of 915 passengers, and The Trillium, an 815-passenger heritage ferry that only operates in certain weather conditions, are undergoing repairs and aren’t anticipated to be back in service for a couple of weeks.

The other three ferries, Ongiaria, Sam McBride and William Inglis, are expected to operate at full capacity this weekend, the city says.

The Sam McBride has a capacity of 915 passengers, while the Ongiara and William Inglis can carry 389 and 220 passengers, respectively.

On the city’s ferry website, a service alert is posted warning the public to “expect long wait times” returning from the island.

“For a less busy experience, consider travelling back to the city before 4 p.m., using a water taxi, or choosing another time to visit Toronto Island,” the alert read.

The city says it is expecting a busy weekend on the island with the weather as well as the annual Dragon Boat Festival being held on Centre Island.

The boat schedule has been adjusted to increase the frequency of trips to the busiest island dock after 6 p.m. to help get visitors back to the mainland as quickly as possible, the city says.

The ferries operate out of Jack Layton Terminal and carry hundreds of passengers to and from Wards Island, Centre Island and Hanlan’s Point.

The city advises anyone visiting the island to be patient, plan to travel during non-peak hours (e.g., catching a ferry before 10 a.m. and returning to the mainland before 4 p.m.), and buy tickets online.