Boston Bar Aerial Ferry, British Columbia
The ferry operated between Boston Bar and North Bend.
BC Dept. of Public Works built the ferry over the Fraser River in 1939. Before the ferry the only way to cross the river was a rowboat. The ferry began operations in 1940.
It was rated for 6 tons. It would only fit one vehicle or 40 passengers. It was operated by a 70 hp electric motor with a gas backup.
The cables were two 1 3/4” cables, 20 feet apart, with a span of 1019 feet. There was a 51 ft. sag in the span.
The fares in 1949 were 5¢ per passenger, cars 25¢, trucks 50¢, horses and cattle 25¢, smaller animals were 10¢ each.
In 1961, this was the only aerial ferry in North America.
In 1974, there closed the ferry for 30 days and spent 280,000 on upgrades.
In 1986, the ferry was closed and replaced with the Cog Harrington Bridge.
If you ever want to explore massive amounts of B.C. logging, aviation, shipping, railroad, etc., history, one of the best sites I’ve ever found is ‘Doug Gents History Pages.’
https://www.gent.name/start
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