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Where is the Howe Island County Ferry? |
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The ferry is located on the St. Lawrence River about 20km east of Kingston. It operates between the foot of Howe Island Ferry Rd. on the mainland side and Howe Island Drive on Howe Island. |
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What is the average crossing time for the Howe Island County Ferry? |
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The crossing time is dependent on the load carried, loading time, wind and ice conditions and boat traffic in the channel. The crossing time is impossible to predict. The busiest travel times are the commuter hours. It's busiest leaving Howe Island in the morning between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 am. The busiest time leaving the mainland is late afternoon between 4 pm and 6 pm. During these periods wait times will increase. During the summer on Fridays, traffic increases after noon and as such longer wait times occur. |
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Is there a fee to travel on the ferry? |
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Yes. Fares for cars and light trucks start at $8. Pedestrians are free. Bicycles are $2. You can learn all about various fares and purchase options on our Fares and Passes page. |
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What is the ferry schedule? |
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The Frontenac County Howe Islander Ferry runs on-demand 24 hours per day, seven days a week. There are no scheduled crossing times. Reservations are not required or accepted. |
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How can I receive ferry service updates and news? |
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You can subscribe to email updates by clicking here. Please follow us on Twitter by clicking here. And you can see our ferry service calendar by clicking here. |
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What do I need to know about COVID-19 before I board the ferry? |
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In the interests of minimizing risk of COVID-19 transmission among passengers and crew, passengers purchasing fares are encouraged to do so before they arrive at the ferry dock using the contactless Honk service. Learn more about the risks associated with COVID-19 and what you can do to minimize them. |
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How do I pay the fare for occasional visits to Howe Island? |
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In the interests of minimizing risk of COVID-19 transmission among passengers and crew, passengers purchasing single-crossing-and-return fares for cars, light trucks, motorcycles, and trailers are encouraged to pay fares before they arrive at the ferry dock using the contactless Honk service. Learn all about using Honk to purchase ferry fares. If you don’t have access to Honk, ferry crews do accept cash or prepaid tickets. We ask that you provide exact change whenever possible. |
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What is Honk? |
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Honk is a contactless fare payment service offered by Honkmobile.com that ferry passengers use to purchase fares while minimizing the risk of COVID-19 transmission among passengers and crew. It’s the same service used to pay parking fees at dozens of parking lots around Kingston. Passengers are encouraged to use Honk to purchase ferry fares before they arrive at the ferry dock. Learn all about using Honk to purchase fares on Howe Island Ferries. |
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How do I arrange for an annual pass if I'm a Howe Island resident? |
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Annual passes and friends-and-family booklets covering the period 1 January - 31 December are available for purchase by Howe Island residents. There is a seniors discount for annual passes. Learn about pre-paid fares and annual passes on our Fares and Passes page here. You can make your annual pass purchase via Honk here or do so with the seniors' discount here. Learn all about using Honk here. You can make your purchase by cheque if you prefer. Submit your completed application form, payment or Honk receipt, proof of residency, and proof of age of seniority as required in person at the Howe Island Ferry office at the ferry dock or by mail:
County of Frontenac 2069 Battersea Road Glenburnie, ON K0H 1S0
Once your application is approved you will receive your pass sticker by mail or notice for pick-up at the ferry office at the ferry dock.
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Can I pay with cash or prepaid tickets? |
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Yes, crew will accept cash or prepaid tickets. We ask that you provide exact change whenever possible. |
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What if I want to walk or ride my bicycle onto the ferry? |
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Welcome aboard! Passage for cyclists is $2. Please follow ferry crew instructions and stay close to your bike while the ferry is underway. |
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Who operates, owns, maintains, and regulates the Frontenac Howe Islander? |
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Learn about the ferry on our About page here. Ferry service is operated by the County of Frontenac under the governance of Frontenac County Council and oversight of Frontenac County staff. County staff have responsibility and authority to manage staffing and training of ferry operators, fare collection, day-to-day service operation, and public communications. The vessel is owned and maintained by the Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO). MTO staff have responsibility and authority to keep the vessel in safe operating condition. They have authority to remove the ferry from service as needed in order to complete any required repairs or maintenance tasks. There is a partnership contract for ferry operation and maintenance between The County of Frontenac and the MTO. Transport Canada (TC) staff have responsibility and authority to regulate safe operation of all commercial vessels in Canadian waters, including the Frontenac Howe Islander. They have authority to inspect - and require changes to - the vessel, its equipment, and operational procedures to ensure compliance with safety regulations. The vessel cannot carry public passengers without valid TC certification. |
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Is there anything I should know about riding my motorcycle to Howe Island? |
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Motorcycles are welcome on the Howe Island ferries. The fare is $8. Please stay with your bike while aboard the ferry. |
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What are the Howe Islander vessel specifications? |
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Length Overall: 30.48 metres The Frontenac Howe Islander is a cable ferry that runs on two different cables. The drive cable is a 3/4” cable that is driven through our hydraulic winch, and is responsible for moving the vessel forward and backwards. The orange guide cable is a 1 1/8” cable and acts as a stabilizer, controlling side to side movements. The Frontenac Howe Islander is the only 24-hour, on-demand ferry service in the area. Because of the constant wear and tear, both of these cables are changed out several times a year. This table is actually a spool that held the orange guide cable that you can see spanning from shore to shore. This cable is 500 metres long, and weighs approximately 1.8 tonnes. The distance between the both docks on the mainland and island is 370 metres. It just so happens that 370 metres is exactly two cables, which is a nautical unit of distance equal to 1/5th of a nautical mile. This means that the ferry is never more than two cables away! If you just missed the ferry, don’t worry because a round trip only takes about 15 minutes. |
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What is the history of the Howe Island County Ferry? |
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A cable ferry has been in operation at the current ferry site since at least 1898. There have been different ferries and different owners or operators at this location. Names of prior operators and owners are O’Brien’s and then Foley’s Ferries followed by Pickett’s Ferry, which was the last private ferry. In 1949, Pickett’s Ferry came into existence with a three-car steel hulled ferry at the current location of the County Ferry at the foot of Howe Island Ferry Road, which is also known as Joyceville Side Road. This ferry was and still is known to some as Pitt’s ferry. The name was derived as the ferry operated in the old township of Pittsburgh. In 1976, Pickett’s three-car ferry was replaced by a nine-car steel hulled ferry. The three-car ferry was delegated to the Township of Frontenac Islands and is operated at the eastern end of Howe Island. The nine-car ferry was owned by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and Communications and operated by Frontenac Management Board until 2004. In 2004 the nine-car ferry was replaced by a 15-car ferry, owned by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and named Frontenac – Howe Islander. This ferry is currently crewed by Frontenac County. |
