Some ofthe better tourist attractions in this city are, to my mind, the diminutive passenger ferries that variously flit and bob around False Creek, connecting the downtown peninsula with Granville Island and other points. The routes are divvied up between the original False Creek Ferries (Granville Island Ferries Ltd., 604-684-7781) and Aquabus (604-689-5858).
False Creek Ferries — with the more picturesque and exposed (and, therefore, potentially choppier and more exciting) routes — connects the Aquatic Centre near Sunset Beach with Vanier Park, Granville Island (the westernmost dock), Stamps Landing, and Science World. Aquabus sticks to the more peaceable waters between the foot of either Hornby Street or Davie Street (in Yaletown) and the Arts Club Theatre dock on Granville Island, as well as Stamps Landing and Science World. The latter also operates a bike- and carriage-carrying vessel between Hornby and Granville Islands.
Moving up the ferry ladder, there’s the Seabus, part of the region’s publicly operated transit system. It carries foot passengers, wheelchair users, and cyclists between Waterfront Station at the northern end of Granville Street and Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver. The twelve-minute ride isn’t much, though it may provide a duck’s-eye view of looming freighters or cruise ships, and pretty good vistas of Burrard Inlet. Lonsdale Quay, a pseudo-farmers’ market with shops, food stalls, and dockside seating, is as good a place as any to while away a sunny afternoon.
From here we jump to the forty-two-vessel BC Ferries fleet. Among the smallest is the twenty-four-car Albion Ferry, which crosses the Fraser River between Maple Ridge on the north bank and Fort Langley on the south every fifteen minutes. Getting there requires a bit of a drive, out the Barnet Highway or Lougheed Highway (high¬ways 7A and 7, respectively), or Highway i.
For a Howe Sound ferry experience, ride the public West Vancouver Blue Bus from downtown Georgia Street out to Horseshoe Bay (or drive the Upper Levels Highway) and catch a car ferry to Snug Cove on nearby Bowen Island. Alternatively, take a slightly larger vessel to Langdale near Gibson’s Landing, a charming village that marks the beginning of the Sunshine Coast. From Langdale, you can hop another ferry to Gambier Island and Keats Island, both speckled with summer cottages and rock-perched houses.
Or head south from Vancouver on Highway 99 to the terminal at Tsawwassen (city buses go that way), and ride the ferry across Georgia Strait to Galiano, Mayne, Pender, or Salt Spring island. Each island has its own distinctive character and is worth a visit.
Serious ferry-riders will want to experience one of BC Ferries’ 2,000-vehicle “spirit” ships — and the ninety-minute to two-hour ride to
Vancouver Island. The one to Schwartz Bay and, ultimately, Victoria, leaves from Tsawwassen; a commuter bus from city to city runs from Vancouver’s Pacific Central Station (1150 Station Street). Ferries and buses to Nanaimo depart from both Tsawwassen and Horseshoe Bay.
For schedules and fares, call 1-888-223-3779; from out of province, 250-386-3431. Ifyou’re traveling on a major route by vehicle, or pull-ing a boat or trailer, it’s best to reserve space at 1-888-724-5223 or 604-444-2890. For more information, go to www.bcferries.ca.
|
