''Thomas Rennie'' is a -year-old Toronto Island ferry operated by the Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division of the

City of Toronto government The municipal government of Toronto ( incorporated as the City of Toronto) is the local government responsible for administering the city of Toronto in the Canadian province of Ontario. Its structure and powers are set out in the '' City of Tor ...

. She entered service in 1951, the most recent of the three ferries that bring visitors to 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 ...

during the summer months. She was named after a former member of the

Toronto Harbour Commission The Toronto Harbour Commission (THC) was a joint federal-municipal government agency based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The agency managed Toronto Harbour as well as being responsible for major works along the Toronto waterfront. It built both ...

History

Commissioned in 1950, the ''Rennie'' was built by the Toronto Dry Dock Company Limited. The ferry cost . It was built to replace the ''T. J. Clark'', which was then transferred from passenger service to freight service. She was built to carry 980 passengers. However, in 2007,

Transport Canada Transport Canada (french: Transports Canada) is the department within the Government of Canada responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of road, rail, marine and air transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transporta ...

published new passenger vessel regulations regarding damage stability (TP10943) requiring various upgrades to be implemented within prescribed compliance schedules. ''Thomas Rennie'' and her sistership ''

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 ...

'', and '' William Inglis'' were also modernized under a life extension program while a fleet renewal process was undertaken. A series of technical submissions to Transport Canada from the City's naval architectural engineering consultants took place through 2016. These technical submissions supported Transport Canada's risk assessments that considered the ferry's operations and environmental limits. Ultimately, Transport Canada approved the Rennie and McBride to be able to carry a total passenger complement of 915. In October 2012,

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 ...

decided that funds should be set aside to replace ''Thomas Rennie'' and her two fleet-mates with new vessels. Replacement costs were estimated at million per ferry.

Incidents

In 1953, the ''Rennie'' ran aground at Hanlan's Point in a fog. In July 1954, it crashed into the city wharf when it failed to reverse, injuring two passengers. In 1958, when water levels were low, the ''Rennie'' ran aground at Centre Island. A police launch was able to pull the ''Rennie'' free. In 1959, while a maintenance man tested its engines, the ''Rennie'' moved slowly out of its Queen's Quay dock, unpiloted. She went out 100 yards into the harbour, and made a slow arc to the west, crashing into the wharf at the Terminal Warehouse. The boat's controls had been left in the 'dead slow ahead' position. The ship suffered minor hull damage and was repaired by Toronto Dry Dock. In 1965, the ''Rennie'' had a stack fire when its engines overheated. The ''William Lyon Mackenzie'' fireboat was able to douse the flames while Toronto Harbour Police evacuated the passengers. In 1968, the ''Rennie'' crashed into Queen's Quay ferry dock when it failed to reverse its engines. Eight children and four adults were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The collision damaged the dock but the ferry was not damaged. In 1976, while on a party cruise, a 21-year-old male passenger fell into the harbour from the ''Rennie''. The man spent several minutes in the water clinging to a ring buoy until Harbour Police arrived. He had to be treated for shock.

References

{{Reflist, refs= {{cite news , url = http://forms.cta-otc.gc.ca/CVIS/Ship_e.cfm?ShipID=193649 , title = Vessel: Thomas Rennie , publisher = Canada Transport Agency , author = , date = June 28, 2011 , page = , location = , archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110706181947/https://forms.cta-otc.gc.ca/sins-cvis/navire-ship_eng.cfm?ShipID=193649 , archivedate = July 6, 2011 , accessdate = April 30, 2015 , url-status=live , quote = {{cite news , url = http://www.blogto.com/city/2012/10/sunday_supplement_explaining_enwave_fords_jarvis_figures_island_ferry_names_and_classic_council_clashes/ , title = Explaining Enwave, Ford's Jarvis figures, Island ferry names, and classic council clashes , publisher = BlogTO , author = Chris Bateman , date = October 7, 2012 , page = , location = , archiveurl = , archivedate = , accessdate = April 30, 2015 , url-status=live , quote = A former Toronto Harbour Commissioner, Rennie lived long enough to see the vessel christened in his honour. He died the next year aged 84. {{cite book , title=Know Your Ships 2017 , publisher=Marine Publishing Co. Inc. , year=2017 , page=41 , isbn=978-1-891849-22-0 {{cite web , url = http://www.angelfire.com/ca/TORONTO/history/islandmodern.html , title = Toronto Island Ferry History: The Modern Fleet: 1935 - 1960 , author = Larry Partridge , date = March 1976 , accessdate = March 14, 2003 {{cite news , url = https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/1222303--toronto-islands-ferry-passenger-limits-eased , title = Toronto Islands ferry passenger limits eased , publisher =

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and pa ...

, author = Niamh Scallan , date = July 5, 2012 , page = , location =

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 ...

, archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20120709082901/http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/1222303--toronto-islands-ferry-passenger-limits-eased , archivedate = July 9, 2012 , accessdate = April 30, 2015 , url-status=live , quote = Although the new passenger limits kicked in this spring, the trouble with Toronto’s aging ferry fleet began in 2008 when Transport Canada ordered the city to upgrade three boats — the William Inglis and Sam McBride, both built in the 1930s, and the Thomas Rennie, built in 1951. ... But what Transport Canada failed to tell parks staff, he said, was that the upgrades could cause the boats to lose their grandfathered status, which exempts the aging vessels from current marine safety standards. {{cite news , url = https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2012/07/04/new_federal_marine_safety_standards_force_toronto_ferries_to_carry_fewer_people.html , title = New federal marine safety standards force Toronto ferries to carry fewer people , publisher =

, author = Niamh Scallan , date = July 4, 2012 , page = , location =

, archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20131223114749/http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2012/07/04/new_federal_marine_safety_standards_force_toronto_ferries_to_carry_fewer_people.html , archivedate = December 23, 2013 , accessdate = April 30, 2015 , url-status=live , quote = Earlier this year, the federal agency reportedly told the city the three aging ferries were considered “new” as a result of the upgrades and ordered them to comply with current international marine safety standards. {{cite news , url = https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2012/10/01/torontos_aging_island_ferries_headed_for_retirement.html , title = Toronto's aging island ferries headed for retirement , publisher =

, author = Niamh Scallan , date = October 1, 2012 , page = , location =

, archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20130202233632/http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2012/10/01/torontos_aging_island_ferries_headed_for_retirement.html , archivedate = February 2, 2013 , accessdate = April 30, 2015 , url-status=live , quote = After spending $5 million for ferry upgrades that had unintended negative consequences, Toronto’s cash-strapped parks department is now planning to put aside money to replace the aging fleet altogether. Ferries of Ontario Water transport in Toronto 1951 ships

History

Incidents

See also

References