Temporary ferry for pedestrians only secured as Wolfe Island Ferry remains out of service

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

The Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) says it has secured a ferry for Wolfe Island, south of Kingston, that will allow walk-on passengers, but not vehicles, to get on and off the island while the Wolfe Islander IV ferry remains out of service.

The update came Tuesday afternoon, more than a day since the ferry lost power and was unable to carry passengers to and from the mainland.

“The ministry has placed the Quinte Loyalist into service as a temporary replacement vessel to transport walk-on passengers only between Marysville dock and Kingston, at the Crawford Wharf,” the MTO said on the social media site X.

“Please note that we will not be able to transport vehicles on this vessel due to incompatibility of the vessel and docks ramps. Priority passengers, including those requiring assistance, will be boarded first.”

The ferry is the only access people on Wolfe Island have to mainland.

The MTO announced Monday morning that ferry service was suspended due to a mechanical issue. Service did not resume Tuesday morning.

“The WI4 is experiencing an electrical issue and remains out of service. We continue to work to resolve this as quickly as possible. We anticipate that the ferry will be out of service into the afternoon and will share an estimated time for return to service when available,” the ministry said Tuesday morning.

In an email to CTV News Ottawa Tuesday afternoon, the MTO said an electrical issue affecting the vessel’s power is keeping it from sailing but did not elaborate further. The ferry did not hit ground.

The ferry has been a consistent source of frustration for the roughly 1,600 residents of Wolfe Island. Last year, the Wolfe Islander IV was damaged and had to be taken to a dry dock in Hamilton for extensive repairs, requiring the older Wolfe Islander III ferry to take over service while the newer ship was being patched up.

Some islanders have called for a second ferry to provide service to supplement the single ferry that normally runs every 80 minutes.

In the meantime, the MTO says the terminal buildings are open for those needing access to shelter, a drinking fountain, washroom or power.

“We have informed emergency services to ensure emergency response remains available to Wolfe Island, if needed, while the ferry is out of service,” the MTO said on X.

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