Toronto's electric ferry debate takes a turn with bizarre 'radiation' claim

Toronto's move toward electric ferries is meant to signal a greener future, but behind the scenes, it's raising some rather peculiar questions.

In 2023, the City announced it commissioned Canada's first custom-made electric ferries to replace the existing fleet of nearly 90-year-old diesel vessels that are well past their prime. The new electric vessels are slated to enter service between late fall 2025 and spring 2027, according to the City's website.

At a recent General Government Committee meeting, city councillors took a closer look at a staff report outlining millions of dollars in contracts needed to support the upcoming fleet. The work covers everything from safety certifications to repairs and specialized electrical systems; basically, all the behind-the-scenes pieces that keep the ferries running.

City of Toronto

But instead of opening those contracts up to competitive bidding, the City is planning to hand them directly to a small group of suppliers, arguing that the specialized systems used in electric ferries aren't suited to a typical bidding process.
That's when the discussion veered in a more unexpected direction.

Councillor Michael Thompson (Ward 21 Scarborough Centre) raised concerns about potential "radiation" from electric ferries, suggesting people might be "driving in a microwave."

But there's no real evidence to support that claim.

Like electric cars, electric ferries run on batteries and electric motors. While they do generate electromagnetic radiation called extremely low-frequency (ELF) radiation, research shows those levels fall well within established safety standards.

Experts widely agree that such low-level radiation is not a major health risk.

So, in other words, concern may be driven by a misunderstanding rather than substantiated evidence. Think of when cellphones came out in the '80s, and many claimed they were causing cancer, but scientists quickly debunked that theory. 

For now, the bigger debate remains focused on dollars and logistics. Toronto's electric ferry push is still moving forward, but as the City leans into cleaner technology, it's also running into the realities of limited suppliers, complex systems, and having to prove the investment will pay off.