PortsToronto Crews Removing “Keep Out” Buoys from Harbour in Preparation for Winter

20/12/2019

Toronto (December 20, 2019) – As part of PortsToronto’s annual preparation for winter, crews will be removing the red, green and white “keep out” buoys from Toronto’s Harbour starting on Friday, December 20, at 11:00 p.m. until approximately 6:30 a.m. on Saturday, December 21. To ensure the removal is undertaken quickly and safely, this work will be completed overnight.

The buoys, placed in the Harbour each spring by PortsToronto to help ensure the safe navigation of boats and ships, will be immediately replaced by similar markers called “winter spars” to ensure the continued safety of ships, such as ice breakers, utilizing the Harbour. The buoys being removed are located to the east of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.

The removal is done on a yearly basis prior to freezing and the formation of ice in the Harbour, and is necessary to perform regular maintenance, repairs and upkeep on the buoys. The buoys will be returned to the Harbour in spring, after ice in the lake has thawed.

While the buoy removal is taking place, passersby can expect to see a PortsToronto-marked tugboat, barge and crane needed to lift the six-tonne buoys in the Harbour. We do not anticipate any noise or disruption generated by the activity.

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