The Albion Ferry
The Albion ferry crosses the Fraser River between Fort Langley
and Maple Ridge. The nearest crossings of the Fraser River are
the Port Mann bridge (Trans-Canada Highway) and the bridge at
Mission (Mission-Abbotsford Highway), each more than 15 km away.
The ferry sails every fifteen minutes during peak hours. Although
mainly for vehicles, the ferries can accommodate up to twenty
foot passengers in a covered lounge in bad weather, and are
wheelchair accessible. At other times, most foot passengers stay
out on deck and enjoy the "mini river cruise".
West Coast Express station at Albion
Build a West Coast Express station at Albion, near the ferry
terminal there. Extend the #507 BC Transit bus now serving Fort
Langley to terminate at the South terminal of the ferry. This
will provide both access to the West Coast Express for residents
on the Fort Langley side, and connections to that area for
Mission residents. Existing buses will offer connections to
Trinity Western University, Kwantlen College Langley Campus, and
the new Technical University in Cloverdale, to say nothing of
connections for people who work in the area. Travel time
increases for the trains would be minimal, and would only affect
those travelling to and from Mission (the last stop).
In an announcement in the papers of Oct. 1st, 1998, West Coast
Express has announced that it will indeed build a station at the
Albion Ferry terminal, together with one in Burnaby to serve SFU,
presumably with a timed bus connection. No date was given for the
opening of these stations. It is important that BC Transit
establish bus connections at the Fort Langley terminal on
McMillan Island on the south side. One very important
consideration that all parties concerned should take into account
is that the ferry dock and vehicle staging area is on the land of
the Kwantlen First Nation, and that these people should be
consulted before any construction of bus facilities is began
there. The land on which the present facility is located was
expropriated from the Kwantlens in 1958 by an Order-in-Council of
the Bennett Socreds for the grand sum of $25.00 and the privilege
of band members using the ferry free in perpetuity. The free pass
privilege for band members is now meaningless as tolls were
removed from the route in 1973. Any retroactive claims for fair
compensation for the use of their land is fully justified, and
continuing compensation should be provided. The Kwantlens of
McMillan Island are mainly involved in commercial fishing, and
have been adversely affected by by recent restrictions in that
industry. It is important that this, and any proposed
transportation link not be "railroaded" through without
consulting with the people who live there.
Dave Eley
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