This list details the privately operated ferry routes traversing lakes and rivers of inland British Columbia, Canada. This list does not include coastal routes operated by BC Ferries and/or its subcontractors.
The current inland ferries in BC are as follows: [1]
former inland ferry routes in BC were as follows:
Route Name | Route Details | Vessel name(s) | Vessel Type(s) | Vehicle Capacity | Passenger Capacity | Crossing Time | Operated By | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Agassiz-Rosedale Ferry | Crossed the Fraser River between Agassiz and Rosedale. | M.V. T'Lagunna/M.V. Eena | Conventional | 18 (M.V. T'Lagunna) | 100 (M.V. T'Lagunna) | Unknown. | Unknown | Replaced by the Agassiz-Rosedale Bridge in 1956. |
Albion Ferry | Crossed the Fraser River between Albion and Fort Langley. | M.V. T'Lagunna/M.V. Kulleet/M.V. Klatawa | Conventional | 26 (M.V. Kulleet/M.V. Klatawa ). 18 (M.V. T'Lagunna) | 150 (M.V. Kulleet/M.V. Klatawa) . 100 ( M.V. T'Lagunna). | Unknown. | Fraser River Marine Transportation Limited (Owned by TransLink, formerly known as the Greater Vancouver Transit Authority, and originally operated the Ministry of Highways). | Replaced by the Golden Ears Bridge in 2009. |
Alexandria Ferry | Crossed the Fraser River at Alexandria, south of Quesnel. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | Not to be confused with the bridges north of Hope. [17] |
Birch Island Ferry | Crossed the North Thompson River at Birch Island, east of Clearwater. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | [17] |
Blackpool Ferry | Crossed the North Thompson River at Blackpool, south of Clearwater. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | [17] |
Braeside Ferry | Crossed the Nechako River at Braeside, east of Vanderhoof. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | [17] |
Castlegar Ferry | Crossed the Columbia River between Castlegar and Robson. | Unknown | Cable | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Government of British Columbia | Operated from 1910 until the opening of the Robson Bridge in the 1990s. It's northern landing is now the Lion's Head boat launch. [18] |
Cedarvale Ferry | Crossed the Skeena River at Cedarvale, to the southwest of Kitwanga. | Unknown | Unknown | 2 cars or a single pick-up truck. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | Service ended in 1975. No replacement bridge was constructed. [17] |
Chilliwack-Harrison Ferry | Navigated the Fraser and Harrison Rivers between an area near Chilliwack and Harrison Hot Springs. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Possibly subsidized by the Government of British Columbia | [17] |
Chinook Cove Ferry | Crossed the North Thompson River at Chinook Cove, north of Barriere. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | [17] |
Clayhurst Ferry | Crossed the Peace River near Clayhurst. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | Replaced by bridge. [17] |
Copper City Ferry | Crossed the Skeena River at Copper City. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | [17] |
Dunster Ferry | Crossed the Fraser River at Dunster. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | Date of cessation of service unknown. Bridge in place today. [17] |
Fort St. James Ferry | Crossed the Stuart River near Fort St. James. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | [17] |
Goldstream Ferry | Crossed the Columbia River at Lake Revelstoke, likely near the mouth of the Goldstream River, north of Revelstoke. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | Date of cessation of service unknown. Not replaced. [17] |
Gravelle (Gravel's) Ferry | Crossed the Quesnel River about 21 km southeast of Quesnel. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | |
Hall's Landing Ferry | Crossed the Columbia River 3 Miles north of Arrowhead. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | Date of cessation of service unknown. Could be an earlier 24 Mile Ferry. [17] |
Hazelton Ferry | Crossed the Skeena River at Hazelton. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | [17] |
Herrling Island Ferry | Crossed the Fraser River between a location near Agassiz and Herrling Island. | Unknown | Cable | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | Date of cessation of service unknown. Not replaced. [19] |
Hulatt Ferry | Likely crossed the Nechako River at Hulatt east of Vanderhoof. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | Date of cessation of service unknown. Not replaced. [17] |
Isle Pierre Ferry | Crossed the Nechako River at Isle Pierre, west of Prince George. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | Service ended around 1983. [17] |
Kitwanga Ferry | Crossed the Skeena River at Kitwanga. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | [17] |
Ladner Ferry | Crossed the Fraser River between Ladner and Richmond. | M.V. Delta Princess | Conventional | 35 | 200 | 10 minutes | Government of British Columbia | Replaced by the George Massey Tunnel in 1959. |
Lewis Ferry | Crossed the Kootenay River at Lewis, northwest of Creston. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | Date of cessation of service unknown. Not replaced. [17] |
Marguerite/Macalister Ferry | Crossed the Fraser River near Marguerite. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | 5 minutes [20] | Government of British Columbia | Macalister renamed Marguerite in the 1960s. Serviced ended around 2003 to the dismay of residents. [17] |
McBride Ferry | Crossed the Fraser River at McBride. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | Replaced by a bridge. [17] |
Miller's Ferry | Crossed the Fraser River at Lillooet, connecting the Cariboo Road. | Unknown | Cable | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | Replaced by a truss bridge in 1888. |
Mission-Matsqui Ferry Ferry | Crossed the Fraser River between Mission and Matsqui. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | Replaced by road/rail bridge. [17] |
Miworth/No. 3 IR Ferry | Crossed the Nechako River at Miworth, west of Prince George. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | Service ended in the 1940s. [17] |
Monte Creek Ferry | Crossed the South Thompson River at Monte Creek. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | [17] |
New Westminster-Brownsville Ferry | Crossed the Fraser River between New Westminster and Brownsville (also known as South Westminster), in what is now Surrey. | M.V. K de K | Conventional [21] | None carried | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | Replaced by the New Westminster Railway Bridge. Operated from 1882. [22] |
North Bend Aerial Ferry | Crossed the Fraser River between Boston Bar and North Bend. | Unknown | Aerial tramway | 1 | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | Replaced by the Cog Harrington Bridge in 1986. |
Okanagan Lake Ferry | Crossed Okanagan Lake between Kelowna and Westbank. | M.V. Lequime/M.V. Lloyd-Jones/M.V. Pendozi/ | Conventional | 30 ( M.V. Pendozi ); others not known. | 325 ( M.V. Lequime ); others not known. | Unknown | Government of British Columbia | Replaced by the Okanagan Lake Bridge in 1958. |
Pacific Ferry | Crossed the Skeena River at Pacific, located between Usk and Cedarvale. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | [17] |
Pavilion Aerial Ferry | Crossed the Fraser River between Pavilion and West Pavilion. | Unknown | Aerial tramway | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | Currently not in use. |
Pitt River Ferry | Crossed the Pitt River between Pitt Meadows and what is now Port Coquitlam. | Vessel Unknown | Conventional - Gasoline Engine [23] | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown. | George Mouldey with subsidies from the Government of British Columbia. [24] [25] | Ran from 27 September 1902 [26] until March 1915. [27] Replaced by the first Pitt River Bridge. |
Pritchard Ferry | Crossed the South Thompson River at Pritchard. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | Replaced by a bridge. [17] |
Quesnel Ferry | Crossed the Fraser River at Quesnel. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | Replaced by the Fraser River Walking Bridge in 1929. [17] |
Remo/Breckenridge (Landing) Ferry | Crossed the Skeena River just west of Terrace at Remo. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | Breckenridge renamed Remo at an unknown time. [17] |
Soda Creek Ferry | Crossed the Fraser River at Soda Creek. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | [17] |
Taylor Flats (Taylor) Ferry | Crossed the Peace River at Taylor, possibly near Taylor Landing Provincial Park. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | Probably replaced by the first Peace River Bridge. [17] |
Terrace Ferry | Crossed the Skeena River at Terrace via Ferry Island. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | Replaced by the Old Terrace Bridge in 1925. [17] |
Trail Ferry | Crossed the Columbia River at Trail. [28] | Unknown | Unknown | N/A | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | City of Trail | Possibly Replaced by the "Old Bridge" in 1912. |
Vavenby Ferry | Crossed the North Thompson River at Vavenby, east of Clearwater. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | [17] |
Vinsulla Ferry | Crossed the North Thompson River between Black Pines and Vinsulla. | Unknown | Unknown | Vehicle capacity not known. | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Unknown | [17] |
West Creston Ferry/Reclamation Farm Ferry | Crossed the Kootenay River between the Lower Kootenay 1C Reserve and West Creston. | Unknown | Unknown | 10 Cars in later years. [29] | Passenger capacity not known. | Unknown | Government of British Columbia | Possibly the same ferry. [17] |
British Columbia is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, forests, lakes, mountains, inland deserts and grassy plains, and borders the province of Alberta to the east and the Yukon and Northwest Territories to the north. With an estimated population of 5.3 million as of 2022, it is Canada's third-most populous province. The capital of British Columbia is Victoria and its largest city is Vancouver. Vancouver is the third-largest metropolitan area in Canada; the 2021 census recorded 2.6 million people in Metro Vancouver.
Victoria is the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Greater Victoria area has a population of 397,237. The city of Victoria is the 7th most densely populated city in Canada with 4,405.8 inhabitants per square kilometre (11,411/sq mi).
Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is 456 km (283 mi) in length, 100 km (62 mi) in width at its widest point, and 32,134 km2 (12,407 sq mi) in area. The island is the largest by area and the most populous along the west coasts of the Americas.
The British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority, operating as BC Hydro, is a Canadian electric utility in the province of British Columbia. It is the main electricity distributor, serving more than 4 million customers in most areas, with the exception of the City of New Westminster, where the city runs its own electrical department and portions of the West Kootenay, Okanagan, the Boundary Country and Similkameen regions, where FortisBC, a subsidiary of Fortis Inc. directly provides electric service to 213,000 customers and supplies municipally owned utilities in the same area. As a provincial Crown corporation, BC Hydro reports to the BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, and is regulated by the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC). Its mandate is to generate, purchase, distribute and sell electricity.
Castlegar is the second-largest community in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia, Canada. In the Selkirk Mountains, at the confluence of the Kootenay and Columbia Rivers, it is a regional trade and transportation centre, with a local economy based on forestry, mining and tourism.
The Arrow Lakes in British Columbia, Canada, divided into Upper Arrow Lake and Lower Arrow Lake, are widenings of the Columbia River. The lakes are situated between the Selkirk Mountains to the east and the Monashee Mountains to the west. Beachland is fairly rare, and is interspersed with rocky headlands and steep cliffs. Mountain sides are heavily forested, and rise sharply to elevations around 2,600 metres.
The Pitt River Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge that spans the Pitt River between Port Coquitlam and Pitt Meadows in British Columbia, Canada. The bridge is part of Highway 7, carrying Lougheed Highway across the river. The current bridge opened on October 4, 2009. The bridge includes a 380 m cable stay bridge structure, 126 m of multi-span approaches, a 50 m interchange structure and approximately 2 km of grade construction. Total project cost for the bridge was $200 million
The Village of Slocan is in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. The former steamboat landing and ferry terminal is at the mouth of Springer Creek, at the foot of Slocan Lake. The locality, on BC Highway 6 is about 69 kilometres (43 mi) by road north of Castlegar and 183 kilometres (114 mi) by road and ferry south of Revelstoke.
Katrine Conroy is an MLA for Kootenay West and Minister of Forests in the Canadian province of British Columbia.
The British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is the British Columbia government ministry responsible for transport infrastructure and law in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is currently led by Rob Fleming.
Big Bar Ferry is a cable ferry across the Fraser River in British Columbia, Canada. It is located about 60 kilometres (37 mi) north of the town of Lillooet and 72 kilometres (45 mi) west of Clinton. 6 km upstream from the ferry is French Bar Canyon, while downstream is High Bar Canyon . The ferry connects the dirt ranch road up the west side of the Fraser from Lillooet to Big Bar and Kostering, which connect via road to Jesmond and Big Bar Lake, and beyond to BC Highway 97.
Robson is an unincorporated community in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. The former steamboat landing and railway terminal is on the northeast side of the Columbia River. The residential area is off Broadwater Road, within the northwest part of Greater Castlegar.
The Needles Ferry is a cable ferry across Lower Arrow Lake in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. Linking Needles and Fauquier, the ferry, part of BC Highway 6, is by road about 135 kilometres (84 mi) southeast of Vernon and 57 kilometres (35 mi) southwest of Nakusp.
Monashee Pass, 1,189 m (3,901 ft), is a mountain pass in the Monashee Mountains of the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Located southeast of Cherryville, the pass is used by British Columbia Highway 6 connecting Vernon to Nakusp on Arrow Lake, and beyond to the cities of the West Kootenay. It is the "prominence col" for Big White Mountain, which is the highest mountain to its southwest.
The Kootenay Lake ferry is a ferry across Kootenay Lake in southeastern British Columbia, which operates between Balfour, on the west side of the lake, and Kootenay Bay, on the east side. The MV Osprey 2000 and the MV Balfour are the two vessels used.
The Barnston Island Ferry is a ferry across Parson's Channel between Barnston Island and Port Kells, Surrey, in Metro Vancouver.
Tarrys is an unincorporated community spanning both shores of the Kootenay River in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. The location, on BC Highway 3A, is by road about 14 kilometres (9 mi) northeast of Castlegar, and 30 kilometres (19 mi) southwest of Nelson.
A series of ferries and bridges have crossed the Fraser River in the vicinity of Lillooet in the Squamish-Lillooet region of southwestern British Columbia. From the 1850s, these crossings have connected both north–south and local traffic.
The Upper Arrow Lake Ferry is a ferry across Upper Arrow Lake in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. Linking Shelter Bay and Galena Bay, the ferry, part of BC Highway 23, is by road about 52 kilometres (32 mi) south of Revelstoke and 47 kilometres (29 mi) north of Nakusp.
The Harrop Ferry is a cable ferry at Harrop Narrows on the west arm of Kootenay Lake in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. The crossing, off BC Highway 3A, is by road about 27 kilometres (17 mi) northeast of Nelson and 7 kilometres (4 mi) west of Balfour.