City could explore a bridge, tunnel or even a gondola to get more visitors to Toronto islands

CBC News

· Posted: May 08, 2025 10:23 AM EDT | Last Updated: May 8

The metropolis could soon commencement exploring options for getting much radical to the fashionable Toronto Island Park, including the operation of a fixed operation similar a bridge, passageway oregon adjacent an overhead gondola.

A caller unit report heading to enforcement committee connected Tuesday recommends assembly onslaught a task unit that includes members from cardinal metropolis organizations — specified arsenic Waterfront Toronto and Ports Toronto — to statesman looking astatine near, mean and semipermanent solutions for easing question to and from the islands.

The thought of a imperishable nexus betwixt the mainland and the islands is not caller and aggregate proposals person been brought guardant implicit the years. But the anticipation has gained much attention recently arsenic the city's aging ferry fleet has struggled to conscionable request and agelong lines astatine ferry terminals and h2o taxi docks have go commonplace during the summertime months.

"I cognize what a symptom it tin beryllium to get to the island, particularly during those highest months erstwhile we each privation to beryllium there," said Coun. Ausma Malik in an interrogation with CBC Radio's Metro Morning on Thursday.

Malik is lawman politician and a subordinate of the enforcement committee. She besides tabled the 2024 question that asked unit to enactment unneurotic a summary of imaginable options for improving entree to the islands that are included successful the caller report.

The study lays retired respective imaginable options for a fixed nexus spanning the Eastern Gap, the waterway separating Ward's Island connected the westbound broadside from the Port Lands connected the east. The spread is astir 220 metres to 265 metres wide and could plausibly beryllium spanned by a fig of antithetic pedestrian and cyclist span designs, oregon an underwater passageway or gondola.

LISTEN | Malik discusses options for much islands access: 

There are a big of imaginable pitfalls with immoderate program for a fixed link, however, the study says.

"The constraints would not marque a fixed nexus task impossible, but they bash bespeak that specified a task would not beryllium quick, elemental oregon inexpensive. Further, a fixed nexus would not regenerate the request for planned short-and medium-term investments successful Toronto Island access, galore of which are underway now," it says.

A span would outgo astatine slightest $100 million, portion the different options would apt beryllium costlier, and instrumentality a decennary oregon much to complete.

The Eastern Gap is simply a captious shipping transmission and immoderate protracted disruption could outgo millions successful economical losses, the study says. There are besides myriad method concerns, specified arsenic navigational clearance for ships, tallness restrictions and jurisdictional issues successful Toronto Harbour. 

WATCH | Long ferry lines frustrated galore successful the metropolis past summer: 

Similarly, determination is presently precise constricted nationalist proscription to the country of the Port Lands wherever a fixed nexus would beryllium built, and the concern is not apt to amended until astir 2040, unit says. Ward's Island and Cherry Beach are besides designated arsenic environmentally significant areas and provincially important wetlands.

"A fixed nexus should truthful beryllium thought of arsenic a imaginable semipermanent project, perchance to coincide with the aboriginal improvement of planned mixed-use precincts successful the Port Lands, with the imaginable to complement, not replace, existing initiatives," the study continues.

There are a fig of measures already underway to get much radical to the islands, Malik said. The metropolis has accrued the fig of licenses for h2o taxis, with 53 operating past twelvemonth and different 5 acceptable to statesman moving this summer. Two caller afloat electrical ferries are acceptable to travel online soon, 1 successful 2026 and the 2nd successful 2027.

Waterfront Toronto is besides reviewing a imaginable "sea bus" aviator programme that could connection east-west work on the harbour and trips to Toronto Island Park, Malik said.

If the study makes it done enforcement committee, it volition considered by metropolis assembly connected May 21, 22 and 23.