After the City of Rochester built a marine passenger terminal, CATS ordered a high-speed catamaran vessel from Austal Ships in Perth, Western Australia, based on a modified version of the Auto-Express 86 model.

The modifications were mostly in terms of the vessel's beam (or width), as it needed to be able to transit through the locks of the St. Lawrence Seaway.

[1] CATS heavily promoted the service and ran a contest with citizens in Ontario and New York for a marketing name for its operation, with the prize being a lifetime boarding pass.

The ferry features bars, a restaurant, movie theater, children's play area, business class, wireless Internet service, and an arcade.

[2] Scott Associates Architects was selected as the designer for the International Marine Passenger Terminal in the Inner Harbour area of Toronto.