Porkers’ Popsicle Pride

Fast ferry freezes fast, Porker Air passengers chill out waiting

By Ima Pigwatcher (likely a psuedonym) –

At 9:55 am Ferry captain realizes he is “ice wedged” into the Island side ferry slip; has crew member whistle across the perilously short Western Gap telling other ship mates shore side to fire up Maple City and get approximately 10 Porter passengers

At 9:55 am Ferry captain realizes he is “ice wedged” into the Island side ferry slip; has crew member whistle across the perilously short Western Gap telling other ship mates shore side to fire up Maple City and get approximately 10 Porter passengers

The Pride of Pork (otherwise known as the Toronto Port Authority Fast Ferry across the Western Gap) proved not to be so fast Feb. 19; the ferry wedged itself into its Island side ferry slip at about 10 a.m.

What was supposed to be an uneventful (though not furiously fast) trip across the Western Gap had the ferry acting as a pirouetting icebreaker giving airline passengers aboard the ferry a 360 degree 3D tour of the Western Gap.

In the midst of the ferry’s dance routine through the channel, our newly pressed tour boat channeled ice forward of its bow and then when the ferry docked into its tight slip Island side became wedged in the slip amidst all of the ice. The ferry’s crew realizing the ferry was stuck, whistled across the Western Gap to his mates on mainland who fired up the old Maple City. The old ferry (mama sow) delivered stranded Porter passengers Island side as they were likely to miss their Island flight what otherwise could have been a short drive down the 401.

Our readers will remember the Ferry’s infamous inaugural media spin around the Harbour in October with complimentary fireworks and purple smoke that caused the ferry to crash into the harbour wall. Late in the year, a log that became jammed in the ferry’s propulsion system also caused the ferry to be sidelined for 5 plus hours forcing US Ambassador Wilkins to take a police escorted bus to Pearson Airport to catch his flight.

Ferry starts to spin to break up ice.

Ferry starts to spin to break up ice.

Those familiar and close to the TCCA 1 have indicated “there are lots of engineering problems” with the new boat; clearly the boat is having difficulty in maneuvering its way through an ice-packed channel.

So much for giving Porter’s passengers comforts of its two enclosed terminals; its dreams of a cheap $100 business flight when they are stuck Island side for 30 plus minutes in the dead middle of winter.