The Jack Layton Ferry Terminal (formerly called the Toronto Island Ferry Docks) is the

ferry slip A ferry slip is a specialized docking facility that receives a ferryboat or train ferry. A similar structure called a barge slip receives a barge or car float that is used to carry wheeled vehicles across a body of water. Often a ferry intend ...

for

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 ...

operated by the City of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division. Three ferry routes provide transportation between mainland

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 ...

and Centre Island, Hanlan's Point and Ward's Island in 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 ...

, with levels of service to each destination differing depending on time of year. The terminal is located in the

Toronto Harbour Toronto Harbour or Toronto Bay is a bay on the north shore of Lake Ontario, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is a natural harbour, protected from Lake Ontario waves by the Toronto Islands. Today, the harbour is used primarily for recreational b ...

, behind the

Westin Harbour Castle Hotel The Westin Harbour Castle Toronto is a large hotel opened in 1975 on the waterfront of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Westin Hotels chain within Marriott International. History The hotel was built by the Campeau Corporation, after C ...

and adjacent to

Harbour Square Park Harbour Square Park is a park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada right on the Toronto harbour. It is next to the Harbour Square condos, the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal and the Westin Harbour Castle. It is south of Queens Quay and adjacent to the Queens ...

. It is south of

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 Stre ...

and Queens Quay in

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. The Toronto Island Ferry Docks were renamed the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal in 2013 to honour

Jack Layton John Gilbert Layton (July 18, 1950 – August 22, 2011) was a Canadian academic and politician who served as the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) from 2003 to 2011 and leader of the Official Opposition in 2011. He previously sat on To ...

, who served as a

Toronto city councillor 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 cu ...

, and was later leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) and leader of the Official Opposition.

History

The main departure point from the city to the Island has been at the foot of Bay Street since the 19th century.

First terminal location (19th century–1918)

The original terminal was located on the east side of the

Toronto Harbour Commission Building The Toronto Harbour Commission Building is a six-storey building erected in 1917 in Toronto by Alfred Chapman for the locally run Toronto Harbour Commission. It was also used by its successor agency PortsToronto, a federal agency formerly know ...

at Bay and Harbour Streets. The terminal in the picture was destroyed by fire in 1907 and was rebuilt. A steamship terminal and berth areas was added to the east side. The site is now filled in and occupied by a parking lot.

Second terminal location (1918–1972)

When the infilling of the harbour took place after 1918 the docks moved to Queen's Quay west of Bay Street. It had a waiting room and was heated in the wintertime.Path promised through mud to ferry dock, March 10, 1972, Toronto StarA ferry dock nobody needed but Campeau, Toronto Star, Alexander Ross, March 17, 1972 This terminal would be there until it was demolished during the

redevelopment Redevelopment is any new construction on a site that has pre-existing uses. It represents a process of land development uses to revitalize the physical, economic and social fabric of urban space. Description Variations on redevelopment include: ...

of the Toronto waterfront that began in the 1970s. The Harbour Square condos are built on the site.

Third terminal location (1972–present)

The third terminal opened in January 1972, shifted about 100 metres to the east.Poor dock access is blamed for ferry crowding, Toronto Star, Gary Oakes, August 3, 1974. The new terminal was part of a planned 85 million dollar waterfront project started in 1964, and completed in the early 1970s at the cost of 250 million dollars that would see the Bay Street shipping slip filled in and Harbour Castle Hilton and Harbour Square condos built. The cost of the new terminal was But unlike the previous terminal, no waiting room was provided (as the ferries stopped operating during winter time),Gibson, p. 271 and had crowding problems starting in its first season. Metro Parks Commissioner

Tommy Thompson Tommy George Thompson (born November 19, 1941) is an American Republican politician who most recently served as interim president of the University of Wisconsin System from 2020 to 2022. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served a ...

would have liked to see the new terminal right at the foot of Bay Street, where the old one was, but it was placed where it was to be part of the condo-hotel complex. Minor upgrades have been made to replace the original ticket booths with newer and larger ones located just north of the original entrance and partially covered by a canopy. Jack Layton Statue - 2013

In 2012, the

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 ...

voted unanimously to rename the terminal in honour of the late

, who served as a Toronto city councillor, and led the NDP and Official Opposition. In 2013, on the second anniversary of Layton's death, the terminal was formally renamed and a bronze statue of Layton riding on a

tandem bicycle A tandem bicycle or twin is a form of bicycle (occasionally a tricycle) designed to be ridden by more than one person. The term tandem refers to the seating arrangement (fore to aft, not side by side), not the number of riders. Patents relat ...

was installed at the site."Jack Layton memorial statue unveiled"

CBC News CBC News is a division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on the corporation's English-language operations, namely CBC Television, CBC Radio, CBC News Network, and CBC.ca ...

, August 22, 2013.

New Terminal

In 2015, a winning design was announced for a renovation and redesign of the terminal building. The first phase of construction is expected to be complete in April, 2019.

Usage

There is an estimated 1.2 million passengers to the station per year, mostly in the summer months.Ticket machines will ease Toronto Island ferry waits
National Post, Shannon Kari, May 22, 2010 The three larger ferries are stored here during the winter months. The ferries' exposed decks are covered by a white tarp.