Hoverlink promises a 30 minute trip between Toronto and Niagara Region in 2023
Photo: Hoverlink
Hoverlink Ontario Inc. (Hoverlink) will be launching its rapid transit route between Toronto and the Niagara Region in summer 2023. The first of its kind in North America, this large-scale hovercraft service will move passengers across Lake Ontario in only 30 minutes – a journey that typically takes up to three hours by car or bus, or up to two hours by seasonal train service, Hoverlink said in a media release on September 14.
Hoverlink has approvals in place to land its hovercrafts at Ontario Place in Toronto and Port Weller in St. Catharines, travelling across Lake Ontario in 30 minutes, 365 days a year, with up to 48 lake crossings per day. Described as “riding on air,” each craft holds up to 180 passengers in a comfortable, climate-controlled cabin.
With the capacity to serve more than three million passengers per year, the service will provide a direct link between two of Ontario’s most significant economic and tourist regions. It will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by removing thousands of vehicles from the QEW every day.
Hoverlink’s high-speed hovercrafts can travel across land, ice and water, in virtually all-weather conditions and temperatures. Similar crafts have been relied upon for decades by the U.S. and Canadian militaries and Coast Guards. Their extremely low-emission Tier 3 engines reduce 98% of airborne toxins. The crafts “hover” on a cushion of air above the water (hence the name “hovercraft”), so they leave virtually no wake or wash, and unlike traditional boats and ferries, they cause no harm to shorelines and protection efforts along Lake Ontario.
To ensure the service’s feasibility and success, Hoverlink has worked with all levels of government and consulted with over 300 stakeholders throughout the Golden Horseshoe area.
