Ferry service for passengers and vehicles restored to Wolfe Island

The Wolfe Island Ferry. Jan. 27, 2025. (Jack Richardson/CTV News Ottawa).

The Ontario Ministry of Transporation (MTO) says ferry service for passengers and vehicles has been restored to Wolfe Island south of Kingston.

Wednesday evening, the MTO announced in a post to the social media website X that a replacement ferry, the Amherst Islander II, was up and running, offering 80 minute roundtrips to passengers and vehicles.

Ferry service disruptions began on Monday when the Wolfe Islander IV was suspended due to mechanical issues. The ferry is the only access the approximately 1,600 residents of the island have to the mainland.

On Tuesday, the MTO announced that a second vessel, the Quinte Loyalist had been mobilized to provide service to the island, however the ship could only transport passengers.

The MTO began testing a third ferry, the Frontenac II, to transport passengers and vehicles on Wednesday morning but the vehicle was deemed unsafe to operate at the ferry docks.

The MTO says the Amherst Islander II will operate between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on the same schedule as the Wolfe Islander IV.

The Quinte Loyalist will also continue to provide service to passengers, with the first departure from Kingston at 4:30 a.m. and the last departure from Marysville at 2:15 a.m.

Residents of Wolfe Island have raised concerns about the lack of service to the island, and some called for a second ferry to operate alongside the Wolfe Islander IV.

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