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The Port of Toronto’s International Marine Passenger Terminal was built in 2005 to accommodate The Spirit of Ontario I a water-jet powered big catamaran fast ferry that was to make several round trips per day between Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Rochester, New York, United States. The terminal is at 8 Unwin Avenue, in the old Portlands, near Cherry Beach.
The ground-breaking took place on August 24, 2004. The two storey terminal building's floor space is 38,000 square feet (3,500 m2). An adjustable passenger ramp deploys from the second storey.
The terminal cost has been reported to have $8 million CA and $10.4 million CAD to construct.
The Rochester firm that initially owned the ferry had a 14-year lease on the use of the terminal that would have paid the City of Toronto $250,000 per year. The lease was terminated in December 2009 after payment of a $90,000 settlement.
For the three years it was in production the CBC drama The Border used the customs facilities of the terminal as the headquarters of an elite customs and border squad. Renting the terminal for filming costs $3,500 per day.
The fast ferry service was only in service for a total six months. Cruise ships that serve European tourists, cruising the Great Lakes, make limited use of the terminal.