Environmental issues have been at the forefront of our society, and corporations are working hard to reduce their carbon footprint as a result. PortsToronto, owner and operator of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, has stepped up their game and are bringing us a fully electric-powered ferry service for the first time in Canada. The Billy Bishop Airport Ferry will be switched out for the electric one by the end of 2020.



The ferry will be quieter than the one that currently sails through the lake and will also eliminate the ferry service's greenhouse gas emissions.



The electric lithium ion ferry will be another step in the right direction that the airport has taken to reduce their carbon footprint.



In 2018, Billy Bishop switched the fuel for the ferry from diesel to bio-fuel. Doing so resulted in the reduction of about 20 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions last year, according to their news release.



The electric ferry will save even more. It is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 530 tonnes!



"We are proud to invest in leading-edge, sustainable transportation infrastructure that will reduce PortsToronto's overall emissions, which is a significant step toward our organization's environmental objectives and in support of the Canadian Government's 2030 emission reduction target," said Geoffrey Wilson, CEO of PortsToronto.

This whole project is expected to cost around $2.9 million. It will not be funded by the government, but by PortsToronto itself.



The ferry is responsible for transporting airport passengers and staff to and from Billy Bishop. It also transports the city's service vehicles to and from the Toronto Islands.

It is a daily service, so it will be great for the community on the islands in terms of reducing noise pollution in the area.



It is a win-win, because it will be a good thing for the environment as well as the people that live near the airport.



“Converting the Billy Bishop Airport ferry to electric power is a clear indication of how serious we are in our commitment to the environment and maintaining balanced operations with the waterfront community in which we operate,” said Wilson.

Billy Bishop has flights to more than 20 cities in Canada and the U.S. as well as 80 international destinations.





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