Residents and tourists looking to embrace the sunshine at the Toronto Islands this past weekend were met with longer than usual wait times, as two of the city's five ferry boats were out of service. 

On Saturday, the City cautioned of longer-than-normal wait times out of Jack Layton Ferry Terminal thanks to the gorgeous stretch of summer weather, which renewed discussions regarding Toronto's aging fleet of ferries as well as improved ways to transport the community across the congested passing. 

"The ferry is busiest on weekends and holidays, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. when heading to the islands and from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. for return trips to the city," the city said in the alert. 

"For a less busy experience, consider travelling back to the city before 4 p.m., using a water taxi, or choosing another time to visit Toronto Island." 

Imagine New York telling people to stay away from Central Park.

That’s what this crazy-ass city does every beautiful summer weekend. https://t.co/Hn9uWTR8vH

— Chris Selley (@cselley) June 15, 2024

According to the City, the Thomas Rennie — which has a capacity of 915 passengers — and The Trillium (815-passenger capacity) are undergoing repairs and most likely won't be back in service for a few weeks. The Ongiaria, Sam McBride, and William Inglis continued to operate at fully capacity. 

Despite the alert, many residents on social media thought the City should've anticipated the summer rush and better prepared for the heightened demand. 

Uh.... why is this weekend any more busy than any other weekend for the entire summer???

— Mark Jackson-Brown (@Markster3000) June 15, 2024

"To be fair, who could have anticipated high demand for the island on a sunny Saturday in summer?" one responded to the City's statement on X (formerly Twitter). 

Have you thought about, I dunno, running more ferries? Build a bridge and get over it 😂

— Granite Shredder (@xshredder8) June 15, 2024

"Shouldn't you be figuring out solutions to meet the extra demand?  Instead of telling people to stay away?" another user asked. 

Multiple responses advocated for a cyclist-friendly bridge that connects to the Toronto Islands and helps to alleviate some of the pressure on the ferries. 

Build the bridge!

We could bike to the islands in less time than it takes to wait for a ferry.

Public parks should be freely accessible to the public.

It's a 250 meter bridge. #TOpoli https://t.co/wJ14yY1Y03 pic.twitter.com/vxHt4VLNh0

— April Engelberg (@AprilEngelberg) June 16, 2024

Despite the overall criticism, some said they were thankful for the City's warning and adjusted their plans. 

"I appreciated the heads up and found other things to do.  If there were massive lineups, people would be upset that they were not warned," one comment reads. 

The City is currently working to improve access to the Toronto Islands by replacing its aging ferry fleet with electric vessels and building supporting electrical infrastructure at Jack Layton Ferry Terminal. 

Funding for the preliminary estimates has been secured for two of the four electric ferries, while funding for the other two ferries is subject to approval in future capital budgets. 

By late 2024 to 2025, the City expects supporting electric infrastructure work to take place at the ferry terminal. By late 2025, it is anticipated that the two electric ferries will arrive in Toronto and start taking passengers the following year.