City was warned of safety risks on ferries

Crash that injured 20 was ‘avoidable,’ says retired captain

- FRANCINE KOPUN

Toronto Island ferries Sam McBride and William Inglis cross paths near the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal on July 9, 2022, about six weeks before the McBride crashed into a dock on Aug. 20. The crash injured 20 and sparked a $2-million lawsuit against the city.

Six years before the Sam McBride ferry crashed in 2022, retired captain Brian Smith began warning city officials, including the mayor’s office, about the safety of the fleet that transports 1.4 million passengers annually to the islands.

“The ferry crash was avoidable,” said Smith, 68, in an exclusive interview with the Star.

The McBride was carrying more than 900 people when it crashed into the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal docks on Aug. 20, 2022. Twenty were injured, including a woman who launched a $2-million lawsuit against the city, the Star has learned.

Nearly two years later, the probe continues after being upgraded to a “Class 2” investigation, requiring in-depth analysis, according to Transportation Safety Board of Canada spokesperson Liam MacDonald.

“This level of occurrence requires a complex investigation, which is conducted by a large team and led by an investigator-in-charge,” MacDonald said. “It requires a very high level of effort and dedicated resources. The final investigation report presents several safety issues and will often result in recommendations aimed at preventing these types of accidents from happening again.”

Class 2 investigations are typically completed within 600 days. As of Monday, it has been 632 days since the crash. MacDonald said that while the safety board strives to meet target timelines, they can be exceeded due to the complexity of an investigation.