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P09878 – Families departing the ferry after its maiden voyage on June 3, 1957.

P07916 – Albion Presbyterian in the 1920’s.

P02067 – Albion Presbyterian in the 1920’s.

Albion Ferry

While it was well worth the wait for the citizens of Maple Ridge and Fort Langley, it took over thirty years (from 1924 to 1957) to get the first ferry service between the municipalities established.

In July of 1924, the Gazette reported that “A Ferry is Assured… Mr. Louis Nadeau has returned from Victoria, where he went in connection with a proposition to operate a ferry at Hammond, and reports everything satisfactorily arranged. Mr. Nadeau brought back with him all the necessary papers, and as soon as O.K.’d by Mr. Patterson, the member for Delta, preparations will be made for putting it into operation.” This “good news” never saw any practical application and note that the location proposed at that point was Hammond to Delta rather than Albion to Langley.

In an article on March 8th, 1940, the Gazette noted that “Tom Reid, M.P., is hopeful that the provincial government, having become interested in the establishment of a ferry service between Fort Langley and Albion in Maple Ridge, may put in a ferry… Mr. Reid has fully realized for some time the necessity of establishing a ferry service between the two thriving municipalities and has been doing all that is in his power to assist the movement.” Sadly, Mr. Reid would have to be among the many anxious people that would have to wait another 17 years for his plans to come to fruition.

The only alternative route to Fort Langley during this time was either the railway bridge in Mission, which was one way vehicle traffic in between trains, or the Pattullo Bridge in New Westminster, neither of which were exactly convenient options.

As Jacob Haldi had left money in his will to build approaches to a ferry landing, the wharf on the Fort Langley side was built first. The ferry made its very first voyage to Fort Langley on June 3rd, 1957. At the opening celebrations, ribbon cutter on the Albion side Evan Jones remarked “here is your ferry, which you have wanted for 30 years, so do not ask for a bridge for at least a week.”

When it was first opened, the ferry cost ten cents per passenger plus forty cents per vehicle. However, when tolls were removed in 1972, ferry traffic increased dramatically.

In 1985, the M.V. Klatawa ferry became the first ferry to run on natural gas. The Sun Victoria Bureau noted that the conversion would save the government about $60,000 per year in fuel costs. Sister ship Kulleet was converted to natural gas in 1988.

After much protest by local residents on both sides of the Fraser River, it was decided that the ferry service would end in 2009 with the opening of the Golden Ears Bridge. In response, a great celebration of the 50 years of service was held in June of 2007. A book recounting the entire story of the Albion Ferry from earliest dreams to final days was compiled by Fred Braches and is available at the Maple Ridge Museum.

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