Upper Arrow Lake Ferry
The Upper Arrow Lake Ferry is a ferry across Upper Arrow Lake in the West Kootenay region of southern British Columbia. It is 49 kilometres (30 mi) south of Revelstoke on British Columbia Highway 23 and links Shelter Bay and Galena Bay.[1]
Upper Arrow Lake Ferry from Galena Bay. | |
Locale | Balfour−Galena Bay |
---|---|
Waterway | Upper Arrow Lake |
Transit type | Passenger and automobile ferry |
Carries | Hwy 23 |
Operator | WaterBridge Ferries Inc. |
System length | 5 km (3 mi) |
No. of lines | 1 |
No. of vessels | 1 |
No. of terminals | 2 |
Website | Upper Arrow Lake Ferry |
Arrowhead–Beaton
In 1896, the Canadian Pacific Railway's (CPR) Revelstoke–Arrowhead branch line opened along the east side of the Columbia River.[2] At that time, the Arrowhead–Thomson's Landing (former name of Beaton), head of the lake, east–west ferry service commenced.[3] In 1954, CPR abandoned the route, and the government implemented a Castlegar–Beaton–Arrowhead route.[4]
Arrowhead–Galena Bay
In 1957, the most easterly terminal relocated from Beaton to Galena Bay.[5][6] The branch line closed in 1968,[7] and the western ferry terminal relocated to Shelter Bay, after the reservoir for the Keenleyside Dam flooded the former Arrowhead.
Shelter Bay–Galena Bay
Announced in 1965, and operational by 1968, 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.[8]
The ferry operates under contract to the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and is free of tolls, as are all inland ferries in British Columbia.[9] The M.V. Columbia sails every thirty minutes, from the first departure from Shelter Bay at 5am until the last departure at midnight, with a crossing time of about twenty minutes (the first and last departures are 5:30am and 12:30am from Galena Bay).[10] The ferry has capacity for 80 vehicles and 250 passengers.[1]
See also
- Adams Lake Cable Ferry
- Albion Ferry
- Arrow Park Ferry
- Barnston Island Ferry
- Big Bar Ferry
- Francois Lake Ferry
- Glade Cable Ferry
- Harrop Ferry
- Kootenay Lake Ferry
- Lytton Ferry
- Little Fort Ferry
- McLure Ferry
- Needles Ferry
- Usk Ferry
Footnotes
- "Upper Arrow Lake Ferry". Province of British Columbia. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
- Meyer 1967, p. 18.
- "Weekly Herald, 27 May 1897". www.newspapers.com. p. 14.
From Arrowhead, there is a daily steamboat service to Thomson's Landing at the head of the north east arm of the lake, a distance of 10 miles from Arrowhead, the fare being $1.
- "Province, 4 Nov 1954". www.newspapers.com. p. 1.
The government has awarded a contract…for a ferry service…from Castlegar to Beaton to Arrowhead and intermediate points.
- "Province, 13 Apr 1957". www.newspapers.com. p. 6.
….build a road from Galena Bay to Armstrong Lake near Beaton as a prelude to eliminating ferry service between Arrowhead and Beaton.
- "Province, 29 Nov 1957". www.newspapers.com. p. 4.
Meanwhile, the ferry will make two round trips daily between Galena Bay and Arrowhead….
- Meyer 1967, p. 28.
- "The Daily Colonist, 21 May 1965". www.archive.org. p. 9.
- "Inland Ferries". www.gov.bc.ca.
- "Upper Arrow Lake Ferry Schedule". Province of British Columbia. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
References
- Meyer, Ronald Howard (1967). "The Evolution of Railways in the Kootenays". www.open.library.ubc.ca.