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Ladner Ferry

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Ladner Ferry
LocaleMetro Vancouver, British Columbia
WaterwayFraser River
Transit typePassenger and vehicle ferry
OperatorDepartment of Public Works
Began operation1913
Ended operation23 May, 1959
No. of lines1
No. of vessels1
No. of terminals2

The Ladner Ferry was a crossing of the south arm of the Fraser River in Metro Vancouver, linking Ladner with Richmond. It operated from 1913 until 1959, when it was replaced by the George Massey Tunnel.

Route of the Ladner Ferry shown on a modern map

History

In the early 1890s, the Union Steamship S.S Eliza Edwards provided a daily Vancouver-Steveston-Ladner's Landing run. The Vancouver and Lulu Island Railway proposal included a connecting ferry to Ladner that never eventuated. During 1898–1900, the three times weekly CP Navigation Victoria-New Westminster schedule included Lulu Island and Ladner. The 45-passenger Sonoma ran twice daily Ladner-Steveston during 1905–1909. The replacement vessel from the 1910 summer, the New Delta, ran the route three times daily in the spring/summer, and twice daily in the fall/winter, until April 1914. However, dangerous ice floes sometimes temporarily cancelled services.

Maintaining the Steveston run, the New Delta conducted a three-times-daily trial during April and May 1912 between Ladner and Woodward's Landing (south end of No. 5 Road, Richmond). In January 1913, the Scanlon (Helen M. Scanlon), pulling a barge, made the crossing in 20 minutes, while conducting a trial run for a government ferry service. During 1913, piles were driven for the new temporary Ladner dock, and the province and municipalities upgraded or built the approach and connecting roads on both sides.

Strategic to their proposed Lulu Island branch line, the Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR), specified a Steveston terminal for their planned Vancouver Island ferry service. Revised to Woodward's Landing, CNoR acquired 250 acres for five miles of siding and a three-track slip capable of handling the largest ferries (150 feet). The CNoR dock never eventuated after the demise of the railway.

In November 1913, the Scanlon, with its barge in tow, established the Ladner-Woodward's Landing government ferry service. The boat carried the passengers and the barge transported vehicles and livestock. A bus along No. 5 Road from Vancouver connected with the four daily sailings. That December, when the ferry struck a sand bar in heavy fog, damaging the paddlewheel, the trip across took four hours and the bus ran out of fuel, stranding the passengers at Woodward's Landing. Owing to the deplorable winter road conditions, the bus could take an hour to cover the 8 kilometres (5 mi) across Richmond. In April 1914, the Sonoma returned to the Ladner-Steveston route, but it is unclear when this service ceased.

Purchasing the privately owned Scanlon (later renamed the William Henry Ladner), the government began a two-month refit of the vessel. Meanwhile, the smaller tug Linda took its place. The remodelled ferry no longer needed to tow a barge, and the faster turnaround increased service to six times daily. However, the bus connection covered only four sailings, until increasing to six, two months later. At this time, oiling the gravel sections, and planking the remainder of No. 5 Road, allowed a faster more comfortable bus ride. Purchased in March 1918 for $10,000, the larger Beaver underwent a $40,000 complete overhaul, before replacing the former ferry in July 1919. The vessel unsuited to heavy traffic, because it loaded from the sides, increasing the risk of damage to vehicles, was replaced in 1926–27. Winter ice floes and spring flooding, which made navigation hazardous, prompted proposals for a permanent Deas Island crossing.

Derelict former ferry dock, Ladner, 2005

The Ladner terminal moved twice. During 1920–21, construction costed $15,748. The landing and paved Ferry Road cost $80,000, but on opening in 1931 the crossing time reduced to 10 minutes. When tendered in 1932, three bids required no subsidy to operate the ferry, while Mr. Robson, the private operator for the prior six years, offered to pay $1,800 per annum. The province was responsible for supplying an appropriate vessel. The Ladner-Woodwards No. 3. failed its federal inspection. The MS Agassiz, the replacement in November 1932, had only half the carrying capacity. The province reimbursed losses being sustained by operator Leonard M. Robson, due to these serious deficiencies.

The bitumen surfacing of No. 5 Rd during 1935–36 provided continuous pavement from the ferry to Vancouver. In 1936, additional summer sailings were introduced. The landing and approach at Woodward's Landing received extensive maintenance in 1940-41. The Ladner landing, on a side channel, experienced ongoing silting that required periodical dredging, and at times grounded the ferry in mid-summer. To address this issue, the landing was extended into the main channel during 1947-48.

Permanent replacement, the Delta Princess with a speed of 12 knots, entered service in 1949. The new steel hull double-ended twin-screw ferry had a capacity for 35 cars and 200 passengers.

A new landing at Woodward's Landing was built throughout 1952–53. In November 1952, the charter contract ceased and the province assumed operations. A 24-hour service was instituted from 1954. Scouring at the Ladner landing caused a collapse on the extension, and its relocation. At peak times, the ferry could make five round trips in two hours. On the George Massey Tunnel opening, the Delta Princess made the final run on May 23, 1959. Acquired by the Gulf Island Ferry Co., it was later renamed MV Salt Spring Queen by BC Ferries.

Patronage

Patronage (1922–1947) (Double these numbers for single trips)
Type Year Page Round
Trips		 Motor
Vehicles		 Horse-
drawn
rigs		 Passengers Freight
(tons)		 Livestock Total
Vehicles
Sternwheeler steamer 1922–23 C40 01,895 024,037 0570 0059,599 04,760 001,341 024,607
1923–24 L38 02,150 027,150 0368 0065,427 04,685 001,252 027,518
1924–25 Q38 02,096 029,259 0334 0064,643 12,030 001,604 029,593
1925–26 Q38 02,261 029,205 0272 0062,918 11,061 001,311 029,477
1926–27 P46 02,272 025,830 0053 0053,105 05,177 000730 025,883
1927–28 U52 02,912 037,968 0109 0079,142 000976 038,077
1928–29 S60 01,019 034,651 0006 0074,151 000908 034,657
1929–30 T74 00no 0data
1930–31 G50 03,060 039,615 0027 0079,092 00002 000196 039,642
1931–32 M40 05,923 052,338 0055 0090,338 000296 052,393
Power ferry 1932–33 Q37 05,882 048,262 0066 0070,332 000226 048,328
1933–34 O33 06,298 047,095 0047 0072,222 000271 047,142
1934–35 T37 06,582 052,100 0055 0080,046 000370 052,155
1935–36 I44 06,264 053,642 0049 0077,259 000260 053,691
1936–37 X52 06,735 056,794 0027 0084,326 000087 056,821
1937–38 X55 07,373 061,723 0023 0088,259 00021 000607 061,746
1938–39 Z56 06,981 063,105 0004 0087,458 001,020 063,109
1939–40 P56 06,611 063,644 0001 0092,294 001,016 063,645
1940–41 O47 08,732 070,325 0102,773 001,518 070,325
1941–42 T52 09,207 087,173 0124,941 00066 001,478 087,173
1942–43 O52 08,766 091,551 0146,585 001,637 091,551
1943–44 Q52 10,037 078,406 0001 0132,323 001,503 078,407
1944–45 O51 09,745 085,354 0002 0145,388 00011 001,298 085,356
1945–46 Q58 10,728 110,198 0148,090 001,252 110,198
1946–47 P47 10,911 127,059 0152,392 00135 000894 127,059

^a . Extracted from the respective Ministry of Public Works annual reports.


Patronage (1947–1960) (Double these numbers for single trips)
Type Year Page Round
Trips		 Passenger
Autos		 Passengers
(Drivers
excluded)		 Trucks Trailers
& Semis		 Buses Motor-
cycles		 Horse-
drawn
rigs		 Freight
(tons)		 Livestock Misc.
Veh.		 Total
Vehicles
Power
ferry		 1947–48 N56 11,414 0146,120 00199,762 026,920 000990 03,522 02,108 03,610 01,318 001,043 183,270
1948–49 O60 12,131 0163,407 00197,563 026,437 000982 03,055 02,188 00227 000689 196,069
1949–50 Q74 11,835 0206,869 00243,675 029,059 000968 02,519 01,631 000303 241,046
1950–51 N77 11,474 0280,460 00292,100 032,155 000961 02,311 00980 000058 316,867
1951–52 P83 11,870 0259,924 00300,497 029,791 000958 02,361 00809 000002 293,843
1952–53 O85 10,903 0264,425 00288,448 026,989 001,014 02,011 00523 00001 000003 294,963
1953–54 M93 13,198 0312,048 00335,539 025,918 001,661 02,652 00669 00007 000001 342,955
1954–55 K95 14,601 0335,312 00353,541 025,011 001,620 02,648 00613 000001 365,204
1955–56 N88 14,721 0349,414 00350,757 023,557 001,484 02,666 00881 378,002
1956–57 J100 14,764 0386,456 00389,901 029,512 001,765 02,736 00867 421,336
1957–58 G53 15,423 0440,530 00437,938 038,550 002,339 02,742 00591 484,752
1958–59 G36 15,475 0492,623 00459,071 039,525 003,887 02,904 00935 539,874
1959–60 F41 02,279 0074,017 00063,184 006,043 00964 00428 00140 081,592

^b . Extracted from the respective Ministry of Public Works or Ministry of Highways annual reports. Although some figures appear suspect, the overall trend is clear.

See also


Footnotes

  1. The Daily Colonist: 20 Sep 1891 to 12 Feb 1892
  2. The Daily Colonist, 1 Jan 1894
  3. The Daily Colonist: 26 Jun 1898 to 17 Jul 1900
  4. "Image: Sonoma on Fraser". www.dmasociety.org.
  5. The Delta Times: 9 Sep 1905 to 18 Sep 1909
  6. "Image: S.S. New Delta". www.archives.richmond.ca.
  7. ^ Gyarmati, Sandor. "Delta Optimist, 23 May 2009". www.ferriesbc.com.
  8. The Delta Times: 26 Oct 1912 to 9 Apr 1914
  9. The Delta Times, 25 Jan 1913
  10. The Delta Times: 6 & 20 Apr 1912; & 18 May 1912
  11. The Delta Times, 15 Feb 1913
  12. The Delta Times, 18 Oct 1913
  13. The Daily Colonist: 18 Jun 1913 & 27 Jan 1914
  14. The Delta Times: 26 Oct 1912, 23 Aug 1913, 18 Jun 1914, & 30 Jul 1914
  15. The Delta Times: 29 Nov 1913 to 28 May 1914
  16. The Delta Times, 6 Dec 1913
  17. The Delta Times, 21 Feb 1914
  18. The Delta Times: 16 Apr 1914 to 13 Nov 1914
  19. The Delta Times: 19 Mar 1914, 2 & 23 Apr 1914, 28 May 1914, & 4 Jun 1914
  20. The Delta Times, 4 Jun 1914
  21. The Delta Times, 20 Aug 1914
  22. The Daily Colonist, 8 Mar 1918
  23. The Daily Colonist, 30 Jul 1919
  24. "Public Works Annual Report 1923–24". www.open.library.ubc.ca. p. L15.
  25. "Public Works Annual Report 1926–27". www.open.library.ubc.ca. p. P12.
  26. "Public Works Annual Report 1920–21". www.open.library.ubc.ca. p. E123.
  27. The Daily Colonist, 23 May 1931
  28. The Daily Colonist, 3 Sep 1932
  29. The Daily Colonist, 18 May 1933
  30. "Public Works Annual Report 1934–35". www.open.library.ubc.ca. p. T11.
  31. ^ "Public Works Annual Report 1935–36". www.open.library.ubc.ca. p. T11.
  32. The Daily Colonist, 22 Apr 1936
  33. "Public Works Annual Report 1940–41". www.open.library.ubc.ca. pp. O13 & O70.
  34. "Public Works Annual Report 1933–34". www.open.library.ubc.ca. p. O16.
  35. "Public Works Annual Report 1939–40". www.open.library.ubc.ca. p. P15.
  36. "Public Works Annual Report 1945–46". www.open.library.ubc.ca. p. Q20.
  37. "Public Works Annual Report 1946–47". www.open.library.ubc.ca. p. P17.
  38. "Public Works Annual Report 1947–48". www.open.library.ubc.ca. p. N18.
  39. The Daily Colonist, 13 May 1949
  40. "Public Works Annual Report 1949–50". www.open.library.ubc.ca. p. Q15.
  41. "Public Works Annual Report 1951–52". www.open.library.ubc.ca. pp. P38, P78 & P117.
  42. "Public Works Annual Report 1953–54". www.open.library.ubc.ca. p. M43.
  43. "Public Works Annual Report 1952–53". www.open.library.ubc.ca. pp. O17, O38 & O91.
  44. "Public Works Annual Report 1954–55". www.open.library.ubc.ca. p. K411.
  45. "Highways Annual Report 1955–56". www.open.library.ubc.ca. p. N30.
  46. "Highways Annual Report 1956–57". www.open.library.ubc.ca. pp. J19, J31 & J121.
  47. The Daily Colonist, 24 May 1959
  48. The Daily Colonist: 14 & 30 Jun 1959


References


Crossings of the Fraser River
Upstream
George Massey Tunnel
 Ladner Ferry
 Downstream
Westham Island Bridge

49°07′03″N 123°05′12″W / 49.11750°N 123.08667°W / 49.11750; -123.08667 (Ladner Ferry)

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