International Marine Passenger Terminal

Toronto’s International Marine Passenger Terminal is located on the east side of the Eastern gap, five kilometers from the city center.

The Port of Toronto’s International Marine Passenger Terminal was built in 2005 to accommodate The Spirit of Ontario I a water-jet powered big catamaran fast ferry that was to make several round trips per day between Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Rochester, New York, USA. The terminal is at 8 Unwin Avenue, in the old Portlands, near Cherry Beach.[1]

The ground-breaking took place on August 24, 2004.[2] The two storey terminal building's floor space is 38,000 square feet (3,500 m2). An adjustable passenger ramp deploys from the second storey.

The terminal cost has been reported to have $8 million CA and $10.4 million CAD to construct.[3][4]

The Rochester firm that initially owned the ferry had a 14-year lease on the use of the terminal that would have paid the City of Toronto $250,000 per year.[5][6] The lease was terminated in December 2009 after payment of a $90,000 settlement.

For the three years it was in production the CBC drama The Border used the customs facilities of the terminal as the headquarters of an elite customs and border squad.[6] Renting the terminal for filming costs $3,500 per day.[7]

The fast ferry service was only in service for a total six months.[6] Cruise ships that serve European tourists, cruising the Great Lakes, make limited use of the terminal.

References

  1. ↑ "Getting to The Port of Toronto’s International Marine Passenger Terminal". Port of Toronto. 2011. Retrieved 2011-12-29. The Port of Toronto’s International Marine Passenger Terminal welcomes cruise ship passengers from around the world to Canada’s largest city... it also serves as a popular filming location and rental location for special events. mirror
  2. ↑ Patricia Williams (2004-08-24). "Ground broken for terminal project". Daily Commercial News and Construction Record. Retrieved 2012-04-23. Construction of the $6.3-million permanent terminal is expected to last five months, said Bob Smith, EllisDon’s senior vice-president of designbuild. mirror
  3. ↑ Debra Black (2006-01-12). "Ferry lived fast and died young". Toronto Star. p. E 01. Retrieved 2011-12-30. What happens to the terms of that lease and what Rochester owes the port authority must still be determined, said [Lisa Raitt]. The ferry is survived by the $8 million International Marine Passenger Terminal on Cherry Beach and a $35 million (U.S.) Rochester port redevelopment, which included a new terminal.
  4. ↑ Charles Wyatt (2005-08-18). "Port authority embarking on fresh start: Focus shifting to rebuilding ties, efficiency". Business Edge news magazine. Retrieved 2012-04-24. The ferry is now owned by the City of Rochester and uses a $10.5-million international marine passenger terminal built by the Toronto Port Authority. The ferry is operating at 50-per-cent capacity, but usage is expected to increase. mirror
  5. ↑ Debra Black (2006-05-06). "Beleaguered ferry heads off across the pond; Rochester unties Spirit of Ontario Sold for $29.8M to plug financial hole". Toronto Star. p. A 12. Retrieved 2011-12-30. The Toronto Port Authority's terminal that accommodated the ferry at Cherry Beach will be put to other use, said Lundy. Other cruise vessels on the Great Lakes use it. And the Toronto Port Authority is also looking at other possibilities for the terminal.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Emily Mathieu (2009-12-18). "Rochester ends fast ferry lease". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2011-12-30. According to the Democrat & Chronicle, the ferry board agreed to pay the Toronto Port Authority a settlement of $90,000 (U.S.) to end the lease. The board also voted to dissolve the Rochester Ferry Co. mirror
  7. ↑ "Filming: Rates valid until August 31, 2012". Toronto Port Authority. 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-23. mirror

External links

Coordinates: 43°38′20″N 79°20′48″W / 43.639°N 79.3467°W