The Wolfe Islander IV (WI4) ferry has started carrying passengers again, months after it faced an electrical failure that took out half of its power and steering capabilities last December.
On Monday, there were a few hiccups, with mechanical issues and the weather causing delays according to the social media account that gives updates on the service.
The ferry service was held up while “necessary adjustments were made to the terminal ramps,” Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation said in a statement to CBC.
The ministry also mentioned that after the ramp work, the ferry was operating “at reduced speed due to heavy fog” for passenger safety.
“It’s having a very rough start,” Judy Greenwood-Speers, mayor of the Township of Frontenac Islands, shared from the Wolfe Island dock just before noon.
So far, this troubled vessel has spent more time out of commission or docked than actually transporting people since it officially began service about two years ago.
“I don’t need a boat that’s going to be tied up. I need a boat that can deal with the weather,” Greenwood-Speers commented late last week after learning that the Wolfe Islander IV would be back in action on Monday.
“You have to have a boat that is not a wussy boat,” she added. “It has to have guts, and it has to have a captain that has confidence in that boat so they can take it out in any weather.”
Ferries play a crucial role in connecting Kingston, Ont., and Wolfe Island within the Township of Frontenac Islands. While repairs were underway for WI4, its older counterpart, the 50-year-old diesel-powered Wolfe Islander III returned to service.
On Thursday, Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation (MTO) announced that the revived ferry would leave from Wolfe Island at 5 a. m. Monday on an 80-minute roundtrip schedule until its last departure from Kingston at 2:20 a. m.
Greenwood-Speers expressed concerns saying disruptions in ferry service and lack of reliability have negatively impacted her community and an 80-minute schedule won’t help matters.
Younger families are leaving the island, schools are closing down and plans for new homes have been put on hold according to what she stated as mayor.
Frontenac Islands Mayor Judy Greenwood-Speers stands in front of the Wolfe Islander IV ferry at the dock in Marysville on June 3, 2023. (Dan Taekema/CBC)
“I’ve been told just this past week by two different younger people that they don’t want to put their home address on their resume because when employers see it, they know there could be problems getting them here for shifts – and that’s not fair,” she explained.
“This is supposed to be our road; it’s under MTO’s control to ensure we have adequate access.”
Mike Bromley, who’s lived on the island for 21 years, said he’s “not thrilled” about WI4 returning and lacks faith it’ll run smoothly.
“I hope I’m pleasantly surprised,” he remarked.
Bromley compared previous ferry service reliability as being like “the loyal family dog,” but since 2020 he’s learned to expect delays.
“When I go into town even just for groceries, I plan my entire day around it,” he noted. “I bring along my medications like insulin and an overnight bag because getting stranded for hours isn’t uncommon.”
On Monday morning, Ted Hsu-the Liberal MPP for Kingston and The Islands-stated he’s closely monitoring how well the ferry performs over coming days.
“Can I count on it over weeks or months or years? That’s really what matters,” he said.
Timeline of Events
The electric WI4 ferry has faced ongoing issues since its introduction: p>In March 2024-two years after arriving in Kingston-the WI4 along with another electric ferry had yet not begun full operations. In December 2024-the WI4 had only transported passengers for roughly five months when it went off course; believed to have hit bottom causing about a 30-centimetre gash in its hull resulting in water intake. In May 2025-the WI4 came back after extensive repairs and resumed operations. In July 2025-the WI4 temporarily halted services due blown diesel engines; despite being electric-it still relied on diesel waiting for charging infrastructure setup. In October 2025-documents obtained through freedom of information requests revealed MTO failed saving “crucial” data regarding WI4’s crash from December. Between weekends later-in December-a period with inconsistent services led finally taking it out-of-service on Dec.22. February also saw MTO inform CBC repairs were finished but necessary testing was still ongoing without confirming return dates.
Greenwood-Speers noted “no islander seems confident” about whether this ferry will function properly.
“It’s never encountered January weather or tough winter conditions,” she observed.
“We could do a draw where everyone picks dates predicting when it’ll go offline again.”
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