Needles Ferry
The Needles Ferry is a cable ferry across Lower Arrow Lake in British Columbia, Canada. It is situated 59 kilometres (37 mi) south of Nakusp and links Needles and Fauquier.[1]
 Needles Ferry | |
| Locale | Needles−Fauquie |
|---|---|
| Waterway | Lower Arrow Lake |
| Transit type | Passenger and automobile ferry |
| Carries |  Hwy 6 |
| System length | 1 km (1 mi) |
| No. of lines | 1 |
| No. of vessels | 1 |
| No. of terminals | 2 |
| Website | Needles Cable Ferry |
Operation
The ferry operates under contract to the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and is free of tolls. It travels back and forth every thirty minutes, from the first departure at 5am until the last departure at 10pm, with a crossing time of about five minutes. The ferry has capacity for 30 vehicles and 144 passengers.[1]
The ferry is diesel powered and pulls using a winding drum on a pair of 1-inch-diameter (25 mm) cables, plastic coated to prevent wear, which are suspended in the lake. The crossing is about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) in length. On 31 March, 2020, the BC Provincial government announced that the ferry would be replaced with an electrically powered cable ferry.[2]
History
A ferry has been in operation from Needles since 1913, with early farmers built the first ferry using Ford Model T parts.[3] Fauquier is the "centre" of the area that includes Edgewood and Burton with a few houses, gas station and grocery store.
See also
References
- "Needles Cable Ferry". Province of British Columbia. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
- "BC government launches new electric cable ferry into service | Urbanized". dailyhive.com. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
- Marquardt, Riel (2006). The Backroad Chronicles: Adventure & History in British Columbia. Vol. I. Trafford Publishing. p. 101. ISBN 978-1-4120-5903-9.