Toronto's first electric Island ferry Lady of the Quays due by December 2026
Toronto's first battery electric Island ferry, Lady of the Quays, is due to reach the city in November to December 2026. Built by Damen in Galați, Romania, the vessel carries up to 650 passengers and 14 vehicles and will charge at the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal each time it docks, with about six minutes of fast charging covering a full round trip. Our guide to electric ferries and port charging sets out how this model of charging at every call works.
At a glance
| Topic | |
|---|---|
| Owner | City of Toronto, project managed by CreateTO |
| Builder | Damen, Galați shipyard, Romania |
| Designer | Concept Naval, Quebec City |
| Vessel size | 50 metres long, 13 metres beam |
| Lady of the Quays | 650 passengers and 14 vehicles, or 1,300 passengers without vehicles |
| Toronto Islander | 1,300 passengers, arrival second quarter of 2027 |
| Charging | Jack Layton Ferry Terminal only, about six minutes per round trip |
| Range | Four round trips without charging |
Two new ferries for the Island route
Lady of the Quays is a passenger and vehicle ferry with ice breaking capability, designed for year round service. It replaces the Ongiara, more than 60 years old and the only vehicle ferry on the route certified for icy winter waters. The vessel was launched at Galați on 27 May 2026.
The second vessel, Toronto Islander, is a passenger only ferry for 1,300 people. It replaces the William Inglis, which carries 395 and is more than 90 years old. Both ferries were designed by Concept Naval and ordered from Damen in August 2024. Damen says they are the 23rd and 24th ferries it has delivered to Canada in ten years.
Charging at every call
Each ferry is designed to run four round trips on battery alone, but in normal service it will charge every time it docks at the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal. New charging towers on the mainland side deliver about six minutes of fast charging per round trip. No charging equipment is needed at the Island docks.
The terminal needs new electrical houses to convert the incoming supply to what the chargers require. Their foundation piles went in during August and September 2025, and a duct bank with 36 conduits was installed in January 2026 to carry power to the berths. Fabrication, installation and commissioning of the electrical equipment has been running since October 2025 and is scheduled to finish in November 2026. CreateTO, Pomerleau and Toronto Hydro are delivering the work with the City.
Timeline to service
- November to December 2026: Lady of the Quays arrives in Toronto
- First half of 2027: commissioning, lake trials and crew training
- Second quarter of 2027: Toronto Islander arrives
- Second half of 2027: Toronto Islander commissioning
The City notes that the schedule is subject to change. The project began in 2015 as a diesel design, moved to hybrid diesel electric in 2018, and became fully electric when City Council approved the change and budget in 2022.
Why it matters for ports
The Toronto design puts all charging at one terminal, which keeps the Island docks simple and concentrates the grid connection and electrical equipment at a single mainland site. Short crossings with fixed dwell times make this approach practical, the same logic behind Estonia's first electric ferry model tests.
The City runs four primary ferries carrying about 1.4 million passengers a year. Once all four are replaced, it estimates savings of 2,900 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and more than C$1 million in fuel each year. The two larger ferries, Sam McBride and Thomas Rennie, are planned for the 2030 to 2034 capital plan, subject to approval. Canada's ports are moving on shore side power too, as with Charlottetown's shore power project. Ferry and port electrification will be on the agenda at DTF Malta 2027.
Toronto's Island ferries will run on six minute top ups, with the terminal doing all the charging work.
