Finnegan is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...
in
southern Alberta
Southern Alberta is a region located in the Canadian province of Alberta. In 2016, the region's population was approximately 291,112. The primary cities are Lethbridge and Medicine Hat. The region is known mostly for agricultural production, but o ...
in
Special Area No. 2
Special Area No. 2 is a Special Areas Board, special area in Southern Alberta, southern Alberta, Canada. It is a rural municipality similar to a List of municipal districts in Alberta, municipal district; however, the elected council is overseen ...
, located west of
Highway 36, northwest of
Brooks
Brooks may refer to:
* Brook (small stream)
Places Antarctica
* Cape Brooks
Canada
*Brooks, Alberta
United Kingdom
* Brooks, Cornwall
* Brooks, Powys, a location
United States
* Brooks, Alabama
* Brooks, Arkansas
* Brooks, California
*Brooks, ...
.
Finnegan Ferry
The Finnegan Ferry is a historic
cable ferry
A cable ferry (including the types chain ferry, swing ferry, floating bridge, or punt) is a ferry that is guided (and in many cases propelled) across a river or large body of water by cables connected to both shores. Early cable ferries often ...
in
Alberta
Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
, Canada that is still in operation. It is located at the unincorporated community of Finnegan. The ferry is the north–south connection of
Alberta Highway
Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
862 where it crosses the
Red Deer River
The Red Deer River is a river in Alberta and a small portion of Saskatchewan, Canada. It is a major tributary of the South Saskatchewan River and is part of the larger Saskatchewan / Nelson River, Nelson system that empties into Hudson Bay.
T ...
.
It is named for John Finnegan (1842–1924) who homesteaded on the river, then opened and operated the ferry. The community is named after the ferry. According to a tourism guidebook, Finnegan "was a very active wirey man all his life and at the age of 75 could still do handsprings!"
The
toll
Toll may refer to:
Transportation
* Toll (fee) a fee charged for the use of a road or waterway
** Toll road, a type of road which for which payment is required for passage
** Road pricing, the modern practice of charging for road use
** Road to ...
-free ferry is operated by
Alberta Transportation
Alberta is a province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, the Northwest Territories to its north, and the U.S. stat ...
. It has a capacity of thirteen cars, or fifty passengers. The ferry operates between 7:00 am and midnight from April 20 until November 15.
Finnegan Ferry has a weight limit of and dimensions of the ferry are long and wide.
In popular culture
In 1991, musician
Tom Cochrane
Thomas William Cochrane ( ; born May 14, 1953) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and musician best known as the frontman for the rock band Red Rider and for his work as a solo singer-songwriter. Cochrane has won eight Juno Awards. He is a member ...
shot part of the music video to his song "
Life Is a Highway
"Life Is a Highway" is a song by Canadian musician Tom Cochrane from his second studio album, '' Mad Mad World'' (1991). The song became a number-one hit in Canada in late 1991. "Life Is a Highway" also peaked at number six on the US ''Billboard' ...
" on the ferry.
References
External links
360 degree view photo of the ferry, from 2003
Localities in Special Area No. 2
{{SouthernAlberta-geo-stub