The Needles Ferry is a

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 ...

across

Lower 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. Beac ...

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 Kootena ...

region of southeastern

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

. Linking Needles and Fauquier, the ferry, part of BC Highway 6, is by road about southeast of Vernon and southwest of

Nakusp The Village of Nakusp () is located south of 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 nearb ...

Timeline

1913: Farmers built the first vehicle ferry using

Ford Model T The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by the Ford Motor Company from October 1, 1908, to May 26, 1927. It is generally regarded as the first mass-affordable automobile, which made car travel available to middle-class Americans. Th ...

parts. Apart from a reference to a rudimentary raft in 1922, no evidence exists of a service most years.
1924: Government ferry launched, which comprised a log raft pushed by a launch. This free service, had a one-car capacity.
1928: Larger boat introduced.
1931: Wooden hulled cable ferry installed, having three-car capacity. Crossings were hourly.
1941: Upgraded to eight-car capacity.
1952: Upgraded to 16-car capacity.
1955: Service increased from 12 to 24 hours per day.
1967: Replacement bridge confirmed, but never eventuated.
1968: Both terminals rebuilt on submerging by 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 ...

.
1969: Diesel-powered ''Needles'' with 28-car capacity introduced.
1990: ''Needles'' relocated to

Upper Arrow Lake Ferry The Upper Arrow Lake Ferry is a ferry across Upper Arrow Lake in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia. Linking Shelter Bay, British Columbia, Shelter Bay and Galena Bay, British Columbia, Galena Bay, the ferry, part of British ...

route. Replaced by a 40-vehicle, 150-passenger cable ferry. At was longest haul cable in North America.
2002: Service reduced to 17 hours per day.
2004: Western Pacific Marine became the service contractor.
c.2013: WaterBridge Ferries became the service provider.
2019: Ferry crew observed a submerged pickup truck just off the Needles ferry landing.

Patronage

Operation

The ferry operates under private contract with the

British Columbia Ministry of Transportation The Ministry of Transportation and Transit is the Executive Council of British Columbia, British Columbia government ministry (government department), ministry responsible for transport and law in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is cu ...

and is free of tolls, as are all inland ferries in British Columbia. 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.

Footnotes

References

* {{coord, 49, 52, 22, N, 118, 05, 23, W, display=title Ferries of British Columbia Arrow Lakes Crossings of the Columbia River Cable ferries in Canada 1913 establishments in British Columbia

Timeline

Patronage

Operation

See also

Footnotes

References