Hume praises HK's Star Ferry (despite the controversial move of the Central Star Ferry pier from a well-loved brutalist pier to a Disney-meets-Edwardian architecture new pier, resulting in a 15% drop in ridership and a fare hike)
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Do you believe in ferry tales?
Jul 07, 2007 04:30 AM
Christopher Hume
Urban Affairs Columnist
You don't have to believe in magic to have faith in ferries.
From Venice to Vancouver, New York to New Zealand, ferries have been a part of the urban fabric for decades, in some cases centuries.
No matter where they ply the waters, or for what purpose, ferries provide a respite, however brief, from the daily grind. To ride on a ferry is to spend time out of time; they offer an opportunity to commune with forces that lie beyond the control of even the greatest metropolis.
There's no better example than the Star Ferry in Hong Kong, which travels between the islands that comprise the formidable city-state. Nature, of course, has long disappeared from Hong Kong, a place where a full-grown tree is a rarity. But for the few minutes spent aboard a Star boat, one feels a sense of belonging to something larger even than Hong Kong – the water.
The appeal of water, of course, is the reason we love ferries. Yes, the going can get cold and rough, but it's always mesmerizing.
That's why the prospect of a new ferry in Toronto, one that would sail between Scarborough and Etobicoke, has struck a chord with so many.
Politicians and experts have already pooh-poohed the idea, but as usual they are dead wrong.
It may be true that the demand doesn't exist now, but it will. Let's not forget that the city has embarked on a multi-billion-dollar campaign to redevelop the waterfront, and transform it into a live-work community with 100,000 residents.
For those future inhabitants, a ferry could be an ideal form of transportation, practical, accessible, and, most important, pleasurable. And how better to turn Toronto into a waterfront city that actually feels like one than by introducing ferries? The beauty of the ferry is that it's both utilitarian and romantic. In a world that has forgotten how crucial pleasure is to human existence, the ferry comes as a welcome exception to the dreariness of 21st-century commuting, and the hurry-up-and-wait life lived by countless millions of people.
How much richer is the experience of a city even as exquisite as Venice because of the vaporetti, those famous waterbuses that cruise its canals. The vessels are nothing to look at, and the lineups can be long, but the trip is worth the wait.
Venice also has the gondola, a kind of private ferry, and arguably the most distinctive boat in the world.
Then there are the enormous ferry ships found on the West coast and northern Europe, full ocean-going vessels that sail the high seas. Except in British Columbia, where they sink with alarming regularity, these ferries are hugely popular.
The truth remains, however, that the most memorable ferries are the short-run commuter boats fully integrated into the life of a city, exactly the sort of ferry proposed by TTC chair Adam Giambrone this week. Those whose daily trek includes a jaunt on the lake would consider themselves lucky, especially compared with others who must fight four-wheeled traffic every morning and night.
And let's not overlook the venerable Toronto Island ferry; as familiar as it may be, it's enough to open the eyes of the most uninterested Torontonian to the distant beauty of the city. For the duration of the trip, we get to play tourist in our own hometown.
At one point, there was a plan to move the ferry docks from their current location, hidden away behind the Westin Harbour Castle, for a site at the foot of Yonge St. It's probably too late now for that – the condos are already underway – but it was a brilliant idea.
Imagine, Toronto, a waterfront city! What a concept.
*****
Famous ferries
Star Ferry: Connects Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, carries 26 million passengers yearly.
Staten Island Ferry: Connects Manhattan and Staten Island. Considered one of New York City's great bargains, the 25-minute ride is free.
Mersey Ferry: Made famous in the 1960s by Gerry and the Pacemakers, ranks as one of the oldest in the world, operating in Liverpool since the early 13th century.
Toronto Ferries: Ferries between the city and island have operated since the 1890s. The most controversial is also one of the shortest in the world. The Toronto City Centre Airport ferry route is a mere 121 metres, which is why airport proponents want it replaced with a fixed link, a.k.a. a bridge.
The mayor may not like the idea of aqua-transit, but there's no denying that boat rides transform the urban experience into something magical
