Damen

A key committee at city hall has approved the purchase of two new ferries to serve Toronto Island, and staff confirmed the price tag for the boats has jumped to $92 million. 

Councillors on the general government committee unanimously awarded the tender to build the two new vessels at a meeting Tuesday. The boats will replace aging ferries which currently serve the island park's 1.4 million annual visitors.

Staff told the committee that when the project first appeared in the city budget in 2020 the ferries were estimated to cost taxpayers $25 million. Coun. Paula Fletcher said the city needs to closely monitor the contract to ensure it doesn't escalate further.

"For such a large spend, we need to make sure there's no surprises at the end of the day," she said. "That all of the specifications that are there can be met within the budget, that the oversight is robust and that some other eyes other than the parks department are clearly on this construction."

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