Salt Spring Photos

Salt Spring Photographer John Cameron

A Different Ferry

September 27, 2016

A Different Ferry
After more than 30 years of travelling on the three Salt Spring Island ferry routes, I have to say this ferry takes the cake. It loads in two minutes, scoots quietly across on a cable system in 5 minutes, and unloads in a minute. It runs from 5 am until 10 pm.

And it’s free.

This is the Needles Ferry (Needles to Fauquier across Lower Arrow Lake). It’s been operating since 1913.

Filed Under: Musings, Off-Island, Sailing, Street Tagged With: ferry

Comments

  1. Paul in Powell River says

    September 27, 2016 at 11:40 am

    “And it’s free. ” – and that’s the best part. Expensive ferry travel is the cost of living on the coast.

    • John Cameron says

      September 27, 2016 at 12:17 pm

      I guess we’re all paying for it the same way we pay for the highway system. Nice not to have to go for your wallet!

  2. Anne says

    September 27, 2016 at 8:07 pm

    Nice to have you back!

    • John Cameron says

      September 28, 2016 at 5:57 am

      Good to be back. Mostly. ?

  3. Ann says

    September 27, 2016 at 8:19 pm

    ….. which is how our ferries should be — part of the highways system and maybe not free but a hell of a lot cheaper!

    • John Cameron says

      September 28, 2016 at 5:58 am

      Sure would be great from a user point of view if it were treated as a road!

  4. Ellen Reid says

    September 28, 2016 at 6:54 am

    Beautiful lake, free ferry and schedule….I remember being on the far side and honking the horn to get the ferry’s attention to come and get me! Nice part of BC!

    • John Cameron says

      September 28, 2016 at 3:30 pm

      Gorgeous on a sunny late summer day. Just don’t get the locals going about the dam and water levels.

  5. Matt C says

    September 28, 2016 at 7:34 am

    It’s always fun when you have to squeeze on alongside the chip trucks!

    • John Cameron says

      September 28, 2016 at 9:57 am

      Didn’t get a chance to experience that. Next time.

  6. Beth and Dave says

    September 28, 2016 at 9:35 am

    Thank you for bringing back fond memories of a road trip we took 20 years ago. We found ourselves racing to catch a Dangerous Cargo run across Upper Arrow Lake because we knew that only 25 people could make the cut! We always wondered who placed the limit on how many folks could be blown up—and what the difference was between a load of explosives (12 people) and “other dangerous cargo” (25). Anybody know? We surmised it had something to do with the droll Canadian sense of humor…

  7. John Cameron says

    September 28, 2016 at 9:58 am

    Canadian humour for sure. And that’s with a ‘u’. ?

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