New details released of proposed hovercraft service between downtown Toronto and Niagara Region

The company behind a proposed hovercraft service is touting the benefits of having a ferry between Toronto and Niagara for tourism and traffic decongestion.

New details are emerging about a proposed hovercraft service that aims to transport tourists and commuters alike across Lake Ontario between Toronto and Niagara Region in just 30 minutes.

At an event at the Toronto Region Board of Trade on Wednesday, officials with Hoverlink Ontario explained how the service, which recently cleared a significant hurdle, will alleviate congestion along one of province’s busiest highways and make it more attractive for people to travel to two of Ontario’s largest tourist destinations.

Last month, officials confirmed that a 30-year agreement had been signed with Ports Toronto, bringing the service one step closer to reality.

Chris Morgan, the founder and CEO of Hoverlink, called the development “the beginning of a new era of rapid transit.”

“This is not just a rapid transportation project. It is an economic development catalyst, a tourism accelerator,” he said.

How will the service work?

Passengers will travel by hovercraft between Billy Bishop Airport and a facility that will be built at Port Weller, St. Catharines. The total trip time is estimated to be 30 minutes.

The amphibious vehicle is designed to travel over land, water, ice, and other surfaces. Blowers produce a large volume of air below the hull of the vessel to create an air cushion, allowing it to float 1.8 metres above the surface. Additional fans and propellers move the craft forward.

Hovercrafts are currently used by the Canadian Coast Guard for rescue and icebreaking missions.

Officials say that while the vessels have been used for decades to transport people in the United Kingdom, a similar passenger service does not yet exist in North America.

“We intend to make it a way of life here on Lake Ontario,” Erika Potrz, the president of Hoverlink Ontario, told CTV News on Wednesday.

Who is the target market for the service?

The company says both tourists and commuters will benefit from the Hoverlink.

“Hoverlink would allow Torontonians to quickly visit the wineries and the beautiful hinterland of Niagara-on-the-Lake, or unleash new possibilities for regional tourism, employment, and housing between Toronto and St. Catharines,” Morgan said.

Operating at full capacity, the company says Hoverlink would result in 8,000 fewer cars on the QEW each day.

When will the hovercraft service launch?

No official timeline has been announced for the launch of service but Potrz said Hoverlink has done everything it can to facilitate getting the service up and running as soon as possible.

How many passengers can the hovercraft hold?

The craft can hold 180 passengers plus crew.

How frequently will it run?

The company says it is capable of making 48 trips daily and will operate 365 days a year.

How much will it cost to ride the hovercraft?

Ticket pricing has not been released but the company says it will be “comparable to other existing ground public transit option fares in the region.”

How will I get to my destination after I arrive at the Hoverlink terminal in St. Catharines?

Potrz said Hoverlink will operate its own shuttle buses in St. Catharines with limited stops. It will take passengers to the Fallsview Hilton, downtown Niagara-on-the-Lake, Fort George, and Niagara College.

“We will invite some of our key partners to have their shuttle buses come and pick up folks,” she added.

“We are looking at how do we package up tickets with entities in Niagara Region, as well as in Toronto, to encourage and ensure that all of our businesses win.”

Has this been tried before?

There have been two previous attempts to connect Toronto to other regions via Lake Ontario, including a short-lived ferry service to Rochester, N.Y. and a previous project that used hydrofoils.

“People often say, ‘This has tried before and it’s failed,’” Potrz said. “Failure predicates success.”

She said the previous two attempts were “marred with issues,” adding that there has “never been anything like” the Hoverlink service on Lake Ontario before.

“They (previous projects) were marred with issues because the craft competency was not available. They were hydrofoils. Hydrofoils cross Lake Ontario maybe six months of the year, create a really uncomfortable experience for consumers, and they really are not competent to craft in all weather types,” she said.

“There was a ferry to Rochester, and that was predicated on cargo movement, very different than a commuter and tourism strategy. We have 40 million tourists between Niagara Region and Toronto. What a better market to launch a marine transit service into with a craft that is military grade.”

Potrz said the company wants to make transportation “fun again.”

“Somebody’s coming in to see a concert at Live Nation, we are going to have a DJ on board. We are going to make this fun,” she said.

“There is going to be an experiential portion to what we do everyday to make sure people want to ride on the hovercraft.”