Ontario's electric ferries are still running on diesel, and costs are adding up

For years, different Ontario governments have used the electric ferries for Wolfe and Amherst islands as evidence the province is leading by example in the battle against climate change — but both vessels are still being powered by diesel fuel.

The two boats have been serving their communities near the headwaters of the St. Lawrence River since last summer. However, charging infrastructure has yet to be fully installed.

Mark Sibley, a member of local environmental group 350 Kingston, said he was elated in 2018 when the province first announced the ferries would be electric.

He summed up his reaction to the ongoing use of diesel in one word: "Disappointed."

"Let's get on with it," he said. "The time has passed that they should have been electrified."

Invoices obtained by CBC through a freedom of information request provide a snapshot showing the boats have burned hundreds of thousands of litres of fuel, with monthly costs to taxpayers ranging between $150,000 and more than $200,000 for each ferry.

While the Amherst Islander II (AI2) has experimented with intermittent charging, it may take until 2027 for the Wolfe Islander IV (WI4) to go fully electric as construction on its docks drags on, according to Ontario's Ministry of Transportation (MTO).

Invoices show fuel consumption, costs

Receipts from MTO show that between mid-August when the WI4 started officially carrying passengers, and early December 2024 when it was damaged and taken out of service, the ferry consumed 463,655 litres of diesel fuel. Over that period, the bills added up to a total of $683,366.

Only invoices for December 2024 were provided for the AI2, but they show the boat used 146,685 litres of fuel at a cost of $213,432 during that period.

CBC also requested electric receipts, but according to the FOI response dated June 2, "no records exist pertaining to electricity costs." As of that point, the ministry had "not yet used shore-based electricity to power these vessels," it read.

The Amherst Islander II is operated by Loyalist Township, which typically covers 10 per cent of the costs through user fees, while MTO picks up the rest of the tab. However, Deputy Mayor Nathan Townend said the ministry has been covering 100 per cent of the fuel costs since the AI2 arrived.

He said residents are thankful for provincial investments including an air-conditioned terminal and washrooms built on the new dock to service the ferry. Townend said he hopes it will be fully electric "very shortly."

"The purpose of these boats is to be electric boats, and to help Ontario meet its climate targets," he said. "We will get there."

Sibley said he recognizes the ferries have faced obstacles, but he believes continuing to run Ontario's so-called electric boats on diesel signifies a failure to meet the challenge of climate change.

"We're in a climate crisis that demands urgency," he said. "It's symptomatic of governments that are not moving with sufficient speed and scale."

Like taking 1,375 cars off the road

A March 2018 news release from MTO announced the province was "Fighting Climate Change with New, Clean Ferries," with Ontario ponying up $94 million and the Canadian government forking over more than $31 million.

Residents will "soon be able to ride a ferry that is completely powered by electricity," read a quote attributed to then-minister of transportation Kathryn McGarry.

Ontario's Marine Transportation Strategy, introduced by current Minister Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria roughly five years later, continued to highlight the boats as an example of Ontario "Greening Marine Transportation."

"Those electric ferries are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 7.4 million kilograms of carbon dioxide per year compared to conventional diesel ferries, the equivalent of taking 1,357 cars off the road," it read.

An MTO spokesperson said Sarkaria wasn't available for an interview about the continued use of diesel. In a statement sent by email, Julia Caslin wrote charging infrastructure for the AI2 is functional and being used intermittently, with testing ongoing before it can become fully operational in electric mode. 

Neither MTO nor staff with Loyalist Township specified how many times the ferry had so far run on electric power alone.

The ministry said the WI4 is operating in hybrid mode, which uses diesel generators to charge the batteries that power the boat.

That approach is expected to continue until charging infrastructure is completely installed on shore, with fall or winter 2025/26 targeted for the Wolfe Island side and 2026/27 for the Kingston dock, according to MTO.

MPP says going electric could add speed

Kingston and the Island MPP Ted Hsu recently met with ministry staff and said it's his understanding the WI4 won't be able to run full-speed until both charging stations are set up, meaning islanders will continue to wait longer than they otherwise might.

"The hope is that we would go back to the original 60-minute schedule from the 80-minute schedule that we have now, once all of the electric charging and automatic mooring infrastructure is built and running," Hsu explained.

The Liberal MPP said while the provincial government seems focused on building highways around Toronto, he's been pressuring officials to remember the ferries.

He added he wants to see the boats succeed because he believes electric power — not fossil fuels — is the future.

"It's cheaper to run and there should be less maintenance in the long run because it's electric, but ... in the meantime ... if it's $150,000-$200,000 a month, that's an extra cost that we're incurring."