Toronto (August 4, 2022) –  PortsToronto is proud to announce that the Outer Harbour Marina (OHM) has been awarded a Diamond rating by the Boating Ontario Clean Marine program, one of the highest rankings attainable for marinas that follow environmental best practices.
 
The OHM has a reputation for excellence in environmental stewardship, with the marina having earned a Gold rating in the Clean Marine program for more than a decade, and being recognized with the 2019 Robert Eaton Environmental Award for its innovative Seabin Pilot Project – the first commercial installation of its kind in Canada.

Legacy commitments to sustainability and recent environmental improvements have led to the OHM’s upgraded Clean Marine rating in 2022, including:   

• Continuing to power all of OHM’s operations with 100 per cent renewable wind and solar energy through PortsToronto’s partnership with Bullfrog Power. Through this partnership, OHM’s Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions have been zero for more than a decade.   
• As part of the PortsToronto Trash Trapping Program, the OHM is home to four Seabins, – devices that capture floating plastics and debris – and is an important site in the University of Toronto Trash Team’s Fighting Floatables research, which aims to inform upstream solutions to prevent debris from entering the water.
• In 2021, 600 native plants, including 15 coniferous trees, 85 deciduous trees and 500 shrubs, were planted at the Outer Harbour Marina as part of a broader effort to ensure Toronto’s waterfront assets provide a wildlife refuge and recreational opportunities for generations to come.
• PortsToronto reports on OHM’s environmental successes and areas of improvement in its annual Sustainability Report, and communicates key sustainability initiatives to the marina community through the marina’s social media accounts.

“We are immensely proud that our commitment to environmental excellence has received recognition from Boating Ontario. Outer Harbour Marina is a world-class facility, and our environmental program is part of what makes our marina stand out among its industry peers,” said Mike Dwyer, Manager, Outer Harbour Marina.
 
Learn more about Outer Harbour Marina’s efforts to preserve and protect Toronto’s waters, support our community, and innovating for a sustainable future in PortsToronto’s annual Sustainability Report.
 
About the Boating Ontario Clean Marine Eco-Rating Program
The Ontario-developed Clean Marine Eco-Rating Program is an environmental program that allows marine businesses to follow best environmental practices to reduce and prevent water, air and land pollution associated with recreational boating activities in Ontario. It is the world’s leading environmental “Best Management Practices” program for marinas, boat dealers, yacht clubs and marine businesses. Marinas voluntarily join the program to participate in a 220-point assessment. Scores from the assessment are converted into an Eco-Rating system ranking from Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond and Diamond Elite as the highest achievement. Re-assessments are mandatory every four years with self-assessments conducted annually.
 
About PortsToronto
For more than 100 years PortsToronto has worked with its partners at the federal, provincial and municipal levels to enhance the economic growth of the City of Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. PortsToronto owns and operates Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, which welcomed approximately 2.8 million passengers in 2019; the Outer Harbour Marina, one of Canada's largest freshwater marinas; and the marine Port of Toronto that includes businesses in a variety of sectors including marine shipping, cargo services, media production and passenger cruises. PortsToronto is committed to fostering strong, healthy and sustainable communities and has invested more than $12 million since 2009 in charitable initiatives and environmental programs that benefit communities along Toronto's waterfront and beyond. PortsToronto operates in accordance with the Canada Marine Act and is guided by a board with representation from all three levels of government.
   
Media Contact:
Jessica Pellerin
Manager, Media Relations and Public Affairs
PortsToronto
Cell: (647) 298-0585
E-mail: jpellerin@portstoronto.com