Needles Ferry
Needles Ferry
LocaleNeedles−Fauquier
WaterwayLower Arrow Lake
Transit typePassenger and vehicle ferry
Carries Hwy 6
OwnerBC Ministry of Transportation
and Infrastructure
OperatorWaterBridge Ferries Inc.
System length0.9 km (0.6 mi)
No. of lines1
No. of vessels1
No. of terminals2
Websitewww2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation/passenger-travel/water-travel/inland-ferries/needles-cable-ferry
Needles Ferry is located in British Columbia
Needles Ferry
Needles Ferry
Location in British Columbia

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.

Timeline

1913: Farmers built the first vehicle ferry using Ford Model T parts.[1] Apart from a reference to a rudimentary raft in 1922,[2] no evidence exists of a service most years.[3]
1924: Government ferry launched, which comprised a log raft pushed by a launch.[4] This free service, had a one-car capacity.[5]
1928: Larger boat introduced.[5]
1931: Wooden hulled cable ferry installed,[4] having three-car capacity.[5] Crossings were hourly.[4]
1941: Upgraded to eight-car capacity.[5]
1952: Upgraded to 16-car capacity.[5]
1955: Service increased from 12 to 24 hours per day.[5]
1967: Replacement bridge confirmed, but never eventuated.[6]
1968: Both terminals rebuilt on submerging by the reservoir for the Keenleyside Dam.[7]
1969: Diesel-powered Needles with 28-car capacity introduced.[4]
1990: Needles relocated to Upper Arrow Lake Ferry route. Replaced by a 40-vehicle, 150-passenger cable ferry. At 1,500 metres (5,000 ft) was longest haul cable in North America.[4]
2002: Service reduced to 17 hours per day.[8]
2004: Western Pacific Marine became the service contractor.[9]
c.2013: WaterBridge Ferries became the service provider.
2019: Ferry crew observed a submerged pickup truck just off the Needles ferry landing.[10]

Patronage

Prior to 1960
Patronage (1924–1947)a (Double these numbers for single trips)
TypeYearPageRound
Trips		Motor
Vehicles		Horse-
drawn
rigs		PassengersFreight
(tons)		LivestockTotal
Vehicles
Power boat1924–25Q3801,008      256    30      2,18600682        36       286
1925–26Q3801,852002,557    56      4,037      42      100002,613
1926–27P4602,264001,604    44      6,004      46        96001,648
1927–28U5207,138001,530    40      5,162      39        41001,570
1928–29S6102,155002,442    38      5,972      89        86002,480
1929–30T7402,155002,366    79      5,899      68        87002,445
Power cable1930–31G5004,102004,79002310011,35400340      172005,021
1931–32M4004,117005,24403850011,83600582      159005,629
1932–33Q3604,049004,43803690013,20300503      135004,807
1933–34O3204,675004,74005100014,82700784      259005,250
1934–35T3705,427006,18107000018,44900719      605006,881
1935–36I4405,637006,88206610018,83400820      239007,543
1936–37X5205,992007,73308250019,80400998      355008,558
1937–38X5506,823009,04609110022,30501,292      228009,957
1938–39Z5606,580009,18807580020,60501,830      262009,946
1939–40P5607,220009,34605410021,32401,938      310009,887
1940–41O4707,109010,23703590018,40301,181      360010,596
1941–42T5206,628010,89402290020,01002,116      590011,123
1942–43O5205,764008,31803160014,36703,525      441008,634
1943–44Q5204,984007,35902250012,67901,730      426007,584
1944–45O5104,985007,28400740014,69901,814      217007,358
1945–46Q5805,426008,62002640014,03701,707      330008,884
1946–47P4707,262011,97100880027,07907,416      345012,059

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

Patronage (1947–1960)b (Double these numbers for single trips)
TypeYearPageRound
Trips		Passenger
Autos		Passengers
(Drivers
excluded)		TrucksTrailers
& Semis		BusesMotor-
cycles		Horse-
drawn
rigs		Freight
(tons)		LivestockMisc.
Veh.		Total
Vehicles
Power
cable		1947–48N5607,435      6,759      30,300004,46601,42601,6250020014602,750      163014,442
1948–49O6009,9530010,558      49,803006,427     39401,7870029016406,361      170019,359
1949–50Q7412,9280015,311      60,151009,970     43301,7370019007106,798      140027,541
1950–51N7714,4370016,854      60,045011,635     20801,4500018007406,179      174030,239
1951–52P8312,8680012,758      52,322010,200     37201,5350010004504,614        99024,920
1952–53O8512,7380013,662      50,004009,071     85202,0670030006305,317      136025,745
1953–54M9316,0090019,216      60,776011,911     54401,9970063001804,560        84033,749
1954–55K9515,5060017,828      55,003011,733     55802,0350026002504,891      110032,205
1955–56N8814,6010016,783      48,373010,947     37901,66100110026        67004029,811
1956–57J10015,3260018,103      52,668013,254     60100919      40031        60032,912
1957–58G5315,4280020,400      56,907013,420     5280072000100012        71006035,096
1958–59G3614,2260018,863      53,049010,515     515008700012      104030,775
1959–60F4115,2260020,939      53,077011,450     561007180010      8        82033,686

^b . Extracted from the respective Ministry of Public Works or Ministry of Highways annual reports.

Operation

The ferry operates under private contract with the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and is free of tolls, as are all inland ferries in British Columbia.[11]

Departures are every thirty minutes, from the first at 5 am until the last at 10 pm, with a crossing time of about five minutes. The ferry has capacity for 40 vehicles and 135 passengers.[12]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Marquardt, Riel (2006). The Backroad Chronicles: Adventure & History in British Columbia. Vol. I. Trafford Publishing. p. 101. ISBN 978-1-4120-5903-9.
  2. ↑ "Daily News". www.library.ubc.ca. 29 Sep 1922. p. 5.
  3. ↑ "Daily News, 1 Sep 1919". www.library.ubc.ca. p. 3.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Clapp, Frank A. (1991). Ministry of Transportation and Highways, Lake and River Ferries. Ministry of Transportation and Highways. pp. 32–33. ISBN 0-7726-1364-8.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Edgewood History Book Committee (1991). Just where is Edgewood?. E. G. Milne. p. 59.
  6. ↑ "Nanaimo Daily News, 6 Jun 1967". www.newspapers.com. p. 14.
  7. ↑ "Nelson Star, 30 Jan 2016". www.nelsonstar.com.
  8. ↑ "Vancouver Sun, 9 Apr 2002". www.newspapers.com. p. 20. The Needles Ferry across Lower Arrow Lake….will also operate a maximum of 17 hours per day instead of the current 21.5 to 24 hours per day.
  9. ↑ "RFP 12-06-2010" (PDF). www.bcferries.com. p. 6 (4).
  10. ↑ "Nelson Star, 10 Dec 2019". www.trailtimes.ca.
  11. ↑ "Inland Ferries". www.gov.bc.ca.
  12. ↑ "Needles Cable Ferry". www.gov.bc.ca.

References

49°52′22″N 118°05′23″W / 49.87278°N 118.08972°W / 49.87278; -118.08972

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