The Upper Arrow Lake Ferry is a
ferry
A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...
across
Upper Arrow Lake
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. Beach ...
in the
West Kootenay
The Kootenays or Kootenay ( ) is a region of southeastern British Columbia. It takes its name from the Kootenay River, which in turn was named for the Kutenai First Nations people.
Boundaries
The Kootenays are more or less defined by the Kootenay ...
region of southeastern
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) 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, ...
. Linking
Shelter Bay and
Galena Bay, the ferry, part of
BC Highway 23, is by road about south of
Revelstoke and north of
Nakusp
The Village of Nakusp (Sinixt ''neqo'sp'') is beside the mouth of Kuskanax Creek, on the Upper Arrow Lake in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. Lying between the Selkirk and Monashee ranges, the village is known for its ...
.
Arrowhead–Beaton
In 1896, the
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...
's (CP) Revelstoke–
Arrowhead
An arrowhead or point is the usually sharpened and hardened tip of an arrow, which contributes a majority of the projectile mass and is responsible for impacting and penetrating a target, as well as to fulfill some special purposes such as sign ...
branch line opened along the east side of the
Columbia River
The Columbia River (Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, C ...
. At that time, the Arrowhead–Thomson's Landing (former name of
Beaton), head of the lake, east–west ferry service commenced. CP gradually withdrew its
sternwheeler
A paddle steamer is a steamship or steamboat powered by a steam engine that drives paddle wheels to propel the craft through the water. In antiquity, paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were w ...
s from the lake. By 1942, only the
Minto
Minto may refer to:
Places Antarctica
*Mount Minto (Antarctica)
Australia
*Minto, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney
** Minto railway station
* Minto County, Western Australia
* Parish of Minto, New South Wales
Canada
* Minto City, British Col ...
remained. In 1954, CP abandoned the lake.
Beaton–Galena Bay–Arrowhead
In 1916, James C. Fitzsimmons began this upper lake service, subsidized by the province. Initially chartering the CP tug ''Columbia'', he soon bought the ''Yale''. In 1928, the Beaton Boat Co. became the operator, using its new steam tug ''Beaton'' to push a barge. In 1944, the Beaton Navigation Co. acquired the business. In 1953, the Arrow Lake Transportation Co. became the operator. The next year, the subsidy ended, and the Interior Tug and Transport Co. won the contract for a Beaton–Arrowhead–Nakusp–
Castlegar service. The 13-vehicle capacity diesel ferry ''Arrow Park'' made three trips weekly. In 1956, the
British Columbia Ministry of Transportation
The 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.
The ministry is resp ...
took over the route and bought the vessel, renaming it the ''Lardeau''.
Arrowhead–Galena Bay
In 1957, the most easterly terminal relocated from Beaton to Galena Bay. In 1968, the Arrowhead branch line closed, the western ferry terminal relocated to Shelter Bay (after the reservoir for the
Keenleyside Dam
Hugh Keenleyside Dam (formerly known as the High Arrow Dam) is a flood control dam spanning the Columbia River, 12 km (6.5 miles) upstream of the city of Castlegar, British Columbia, Canada.
Dam
The dam is at the outflow of what was the u ...
flooded the former Arrowhead), and ferry fares were eliminated on the Upper Arrow Lake.
Shelter Bay–Galena Bay
![Arrowlakesmap](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/Arrowlakesmap.png)
Announced in 1965, and implemented within a few years, were the construction of a new Revelstoke–Shelter Bay road along the west side of the Columbia, the introduction of a Shelter Bay–Galena Bay ferry, and a major upgrade to the Nakusp–Galena Bay road.
Timeline
1969: DEV ''Galena'' with a 35-vehicle, 200-passenger capacity
(built 1968), replaced the ''12 Mile'' and ''24 Mile'' ferries.
1990: DEV ''Galena'' modified to a 50-vehicle, 150-passenger capacity vessel. MV ''Needles'' relocated from
Needles Ferry
The Needles Ferry is a cable ferry across Lower Arrow Lake in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean ...
route and renamed MV ''Shelter Bay''
(built 1969).
2002: The service, which operated 5am to 1am, was reduced to 6am to midnight.
2004: Western Pacific Marine became the service contractor.
2007: By this time, service was 6:30am to 11:30pm.
2008: Service was restored as 5am to 1am.
c.2013: WaterBridge Ferries became the service provider.
2014: Designed and built by WaterBridge Steel at Nakusp, the 80-vehicle, 250-passenger capacity
MV ''Columbia'' was introduced to replace the two smaller vessels. Wider lanes and improved ramp transitions allowed faster loading and unloading.
2020: A vehicle drove off the Shelter Bay terminal ahead of the incoming ferry. The driver, who was rescued, did not suffer any major injuries. An underwater dive team attached a tow truck cable to the submerged vehicle, which was lifted from the water.
Operation
The ferry operates under contract to the
British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
The 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.
The ministry is respon ...
and is free of
toll
Toll may refer to:
Transportation
* Toll (fee) a fee charged for the use of a road or waterway
** Road pricing, the modern practice of charging for road use
** Road toll (historic), the historic practice of charging for road use
** Shadow toll, ...
s, as are all inland ferries in British Columbia. The MV ''Columbia'' sails every thirty minutes, from the first departure from Shelter Bay at 5am until the last at midnight, with a crossing time of about twenty minutes (the first and last departures are 5:30am and 12:30am from Galena Bay). The ferry has capacity for 80 vehicles and 250 passengers.
See also
*
Adams Lake Cable Ferry
Adams may refer to:
* For persons, see Adams (surname)
Places United States
* Adams, California
*Adams, California, former name of Corte Madera, California
*Adams, Decatur County, Indiana
* Adams, Kentucky
*Adams, Massachusetts, a New England to ...
*
Albion Ferry
The Albion Ferry was a passenger and vehicle ferry service that sailed on the Fraser River between Albion and Fort Langley in the Lower Fraser Valley region of British Columbia, Canada from June 2, 1957, until July 31, 2009.
Originally opera ...
*
Arrow Park Ferry
An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers ca ...
*
Barnston Island Ferry
The Barnston Island Ferry is a ferry that runs across Parson's Channel (on the south side of the Fraser River) between Barnston Island and Port Kells, Surrey, in Metro Vancouver.
History
In 1913, the Canadian Pacific Railway withdrew steamboat ...
*
Big Bar Ferry
Big Bar Ferry is a cable ferry across the Fraser River in British Columbia, Canada. It is located about north of the town of Lillooet and west of Clinton. 6 km upstream from the ferry is French Bar Canyon (sometimes known as Big Bar Canyon) ...
*
Francois Lake Ferry
*
Glade Cable Ferry
*
Harrop Ferry Harrop may refer to:
Surname
* Brett Harrop (born 1979), Australian cricketer
* Bobby Harrop (1936–2007), English footballer
* Douglas Harrop (born 1947), English cricketer
*Froma Harrop (born 1950), American journalist and author
* George A. Har ...
*
Kootenay Lake Ferry
The Kootenay Lake ferry is a ferry across Kootenay Lake in southeastern British Columbia, which operates between Balfour, British Columbia, Balfour, on the west side of the lake, and Kootenay Bay, British Columbia, Kootenay Bay, on the east side. T ...
*
Lytton Ferry
The Lytton Ferry is a cable ferry across the Fraser River in British Columbia, Canada. It is situated about north of Lytton.
Technically, the ferry is a reaction ferry, which is propelled by the current of the water. An overhead cable is sus ...
*
Little Fort Ferry The Little Fort Ferry is a cable ferry across the North Thompson River in British Columbia, Canada. It is situated at Little Fort, British Columbia, Little Fort, about north of Kamloops, British Columbia, Kamloops.
Technically, the ferry is a re ...
*
McLure Ferry
The McLure Ferry is a cable ferry across the North Thompson River in British Columbia, Canada. It is situated about north of Kamloops.
Specifically, the ferry is a reaction ferry, which is propelled by the current of the water. An overhead cab ...
*
Needles Ferry
The Needles Ferry is a cable ferry across Lower Arrow Lake in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean ...
*
Usk Ferry The Usk Ferry is a cable ferry across the Skeena River in British Columbia, Canada. It is situated about north-east of Terrace at Usk.
Technically, the ferry is a reaction ferry, which is propelled by the current of the water. An overhead cable ...
Footnotes
References
*
*
{{coord, 50.629187, -117.899619, region:CA_type:landmark, display=title
Ferries of British Columbia
Arrow Lakes
Crossings of the Columbia River
Canadian Pacific Railway