PortsToronto’s “Duckling Docks” Make a Splash in Toronto Harbour
Today, PortsToronto crews deployed eight Duckling Docks in the Toronto Harbour at the Portland, York, and Yonge slips. This year’s Duckling Docks were hand-painted by students at the Waterfront School and the Waterfront Neighbourhood Centre, providing a vibrant, colourful welcome for ducklings needing a safe place to rest along the Toronto Waterfront.
This initiative, which began in 2021, was driven by concerns about the lack of safe resting spots for ducklings along the waterfront. The Duckling Docks, designed in consultation with the Toronto Wildlife Centre, provide an accessible resting platform for young ducklings still developing their waterproof down. The duckling season typically runs until mid-July.
Each dock is a wooden platform, 12-inches wide and six-feet long, and securely fastened to an existing floating dock or dock wall. The design includes a beveled edge and a textured surface, making it easier for both ducklings and adult ducks to climb aboard safely.
What makes these docks even more unique is that they were hand-painted with creative designs by the students at Waterfront School and the Waterfront Neighbourhood Centre before they were installed. These bold and colourful designs ensure the docks are easily visible and not mistaken for debris and removed.
Five years ago we received an email from a local kayaker that baby ducklings were drowning in the harbour. PortsToronto worked with Toronto Wildlife Centre to inform a duckling dock design that would address the problem by providing a safe place for the ducklings to rest. Today these docks are one of our favourite waterfront community initiatives, and are an example of how small ideas can make a big difference. We are thrilled to deploy the docks again this year and are especially appreciative of the students at the Waterfront School and Waterfront Neighbourhood Centre who transformed the docks into pieces of floating public art. These docks not only offer ducklings a safe place to rest but also bring colour and creativity to the slips where they are deployed.
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The Toronto Port Authority owns and operates Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, which welcomes approximately two million passengers and generates approximately $2 billion in economic impact per year; the Outer Harbour Marina, one of Canada’s largest freshwater marinas; and the marine Port of Toronto, which facilitates businesses such as marine shipping, cargo services and passenger cruises to generate approximately $460 million in economic activity annually. Since 1911, and in its role as a city builder, the Toronto Port Authority has worked with partners and every level of government to enhance Toronto’s transportation infrastructure and economic growth. The Toronto Port Authority is committed to fostering strong, healthy and sustainable communities, and has invested more than $30 million in recent years to fund charitable initiatives and environmental programs that benefit communities along Toronto's waterfront and beyond.
The Toronto Port Authority is a federal agency and operates in accordance with the Canada Marine Act. It is guided by a Board of Directors that includes representation from all three levels of government.