Ferryboat.
Historical Description: Sir John of the Peninsula was the first ferryboat to the Toronto Islands. It was named for Sir John Moore, who achieved some fame in the Peninsular War with Napoleon, by a veteran who had served under him during that campaign, Michael O’Connor. Benjamin Knott had ordered the building of the ferry to service his candle and starch factory on the Island, and his hotel there, The Retreat. Knott and O’Connor became operators of the ferry. The vessel itself was powered by two teams of horses walking a treadmill that turned side paddlewheels. The maiden voyage of the ferry was 9 September 1833, and it left from the foot of Church Street. After a cholera epidemic, the hotel was sold in 1835. By this date there was only a single horse ferry in service.
Relative Importance: As the very first of Toronto’s ferries, Sir John of the Peninsula is important. Nothing remains of it except a small drawing.
Planning Implications: In planning for use of this information, it would be important to ensure that current ferry systems acknowledge this beginning, either on the operating ferries themselves or at their landing places, and certainly at the shoreline closest to Knott’s hotel, despite infill and alterations. The history of ferryboats in the harbour should be fully written with details about each of the vessels and the companies that operated them. While publication is not a planning concern, this is a program that can be assigned to another municipal agency or volunteer organization with the formal request for recommendations about other commemorations. It should also be noted that neither the harbour mainland shoreline is where it was, nor is the shoreline of the Island what it was.
Reference Sources: City of Toronto Archives; John Ross Robertson, Landmarks of Toronto; Sally Gibson, More Than an Island, a History of Toronto Island (1984).
Acknowledgements: Ontario Archaeological Society, Toronto Branch; Maps Project files.