Canada Transportation Safety Board Investigation Unveils Critical Flaws in Toronto Ferry Operations

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has released its investigation report into a 2022 incident involving the passenger ferry Sam McBride in Toronto, Ontario. The ferry struck the dock at Jack Layton Ferry Terminal, resulting in injuries to approximately 20 passengers.

The incident occurred on August 20, 2022, when the ferry, carrying about 910 passengers and six crew members, approached the dock faster than usual. Only one of the vessel’s two propellers was operational during the approach, which proved insufficient to stop the ferry.

The TSB investigation revealed several critical safety deficiencies in passenger safety management. These include the lack of written procedures for safe docking practices by the City of Toronto, insufficient crew training in emergency passenger management, unrealistic evacuation procedures, and inadequate passenger counting methods, particularly for children and infants.

“The investigation found that the City of Toronto did not have written procedures addressing issues like safe approach speed for docking,” the report stated. “Instead, masters were left to operate in the way that they deemed appropriate. Without written procedures that defined safe practices for docking, decisions around travel or docking speed may have been influenced by operational pressures.”

In response, the TSB has issued three recommendations to Transport Canada aiming to address critical safety deficiencies in passenger ferry operations. The recommendations include implementing mandatory passenger safety management training for all crew members, establishing a formal validation process for evacuation procedures, and ensuring accurate passenger counts, including separate tallies for children and infants.

Since the incident, the City of Toronto has taken steps to improve safety, including increasing the Sam McBride‘s crew size to 13 and enhancing passenger safety measures.

You can find the TSB investigation report here.