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TransCanadaHighway.com Delta, British Columbia
This mainly agricultural area lies south of Vancouver, east of the Strait of Georgia, between the south arm of the Fraser River and Boundary Bay. Highways 91 and 99 provide easy
access from this 336 square km municipality to Vancouver and its airport and to the United States.
The district municipality, incorporated in 1879, was named for the flat delta land at the mouth of the Fraser.
There are a number of charming attractions right along River Road in Ladner: Captain Cove
Marina, Ladner Harbour Park (with protected rabbits), a playground with picnic tables and
walking trails, St. John's Fishing Lodge, and the Ladner Crab Trap Factory.
The Reifel Bird Sanctuary on the west end of the Fraser's south bank, west of the village of Ladner is a favorite for bird-watchers, being on the major north-south migration route along the Pacific.
Tsawwassen is named for the aboriginal word for "facing the sea". It has beautiful beaches, and good winds for windsurfing between the spit and the ferry terminal. Catch the ferries to Vancouver Island at the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal. Ferries run to Swartz Bay (by Victoria), Nanaimo, and the Gulf Islands. Sailing time to Victoria is 95 minutes to cover a 39 km distance. Some of the ferries hold 300 automobiles and carry 1,350 passengers.
South of Tsawwassen is Point Roberts, on the portion of the point that drops below the 49th parallel that marks the US Border.
Head south along Highway 17 before ferry, left to 56 Street, through town of Tsawwassen, up
the hill and across the border. Point Roberts forests and beaches, excellent for swimming and
walking. The beaches on Boundary Bay, the sandbars go for a mile at low tide, and provide a
suitable beach for small children. The shores on the Strait of Georgia are much rougher
water; great for viewing, however not good for swimming.
Point Roberts attractions include the International Market Place on Tyee Drive, Nielson's Lumber Yard
(home of the annual spring Belt Sander Drag Race), the Marina (just past the
market), Light House Park with boardwalk, picnic shelters, boat launch,
playground, lookout tower and a fishing pier. Lily Point provides a 20 minute walk to the cliff
with a graet view of Blaine WA to the east, the San Juan Islands to the south,
and the burned-down ruins of the Alaska Packers Association fishing packing
plant, destroyed in the 1960s.
On the east side is North Delta, bordering Surrey. This community is close and convenient to the SkyTrain running through New Westminster and Surrey.
History of Delta
Coast Salish first nations had settled in the highlands of North Delta and the western beaches near what is currently the Tsawwassen Reserve. Delta's first European pioneers arrived in 1859 and cleared land on the Fraser River shores in North Delta for farming.
Two brothers, Thomas and William Ladner, really began the community of Delta when in 1868, they each claimed 160 acres for farming beside the Chilukthan Slough. This waterway connected the farms and the steamship dock at Ladner's Landing, in the days before roads. Ladner's Landing became the hub of a thriving farming and fishing community, with produce being shipped to New Westminster (then the provincial capital) and Victoria. In 1879, William Ladner became the first Reeve.of newly incorporated Delta
Major floods in 1891 and 1895 cause the ambitious system of dikes and drainage to prevent flooding in the lowlands. The rich, fertile soil produced bountiful crops, and even today, the dike system protects modern farms, growing a wide variety of different foods, from flooding.
FoundLocally's Business listings for Delta
Annual festivals, events: Delta Pioneer Days (May), Fraser River
Festival (June).
Delta Attractions
Here are the most popular attractions in Delta ( other nearby attractions):
Bear Creek Park Train
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Bear Creek Park
Surrey, Eddy the Engine and Chough the steam locomotive operate on a 15 inch narrow gauge track.
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Britannia Heritage Shipyard Museum
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At the foot of Railway Avenue, Steveston. Take Highway #99 to Steveston Highway and head west to the Village.
Displays about the Steveston ship building and fishing.
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Burns Bog Conservation Society
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202 11961 88th Ave, Delta
(604) 572-0373
Burns Bog is a raised dome peat bog slated for development, a unique ecosystem amongst the mountains, forests and cities at the mouth of the world's greatest salmon river, the Fraser
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Deas Island Regional Park
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Northeast of Hwy 99 at Hwy 17 (Ladner)
On the Fraser River, east of Massey Tunnel
(604) 432-6350
This 70 hectare park is on the south bank of the Fraser River, with sand dunes, marshes, and nature trails. The park offers a large picnic area (with shelter), nature trails, bar fishing, canoe launching and sheltered Deas Slough for waterskiing and rowing. The historic Inverholme Schoolhouse, dating back to 1909, is the park's information centre. Burrvilla is a 1905 Queen Anne-style home furnished with antiques, and offers period items for sale. The park also has a great view of cars disappearing into the George Massey Tunnel under the Fraser River.
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Delta Museum & Archives
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4858 Delta Street, Ladner
(604) 946-9322
The museum contains a wealth of fine artifacts, photographs and authentic Victorian period settings.
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F440 Racing Challenge
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4805 Nulelum Way, Tsawwassen
(604) 948-2940
Enjoy adreneline pumping race track action inside a Formula race car on a professionally designed one-kilometre road course.
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George C. Reifel Bird Sanctuary
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5191 Robertson Road
(604) 946-6980
This is a 850-acre sanctuary on Delta's Westham Island, only 10 kilometres west of Ladner. It is a major resting place for thousands of migratory birds on their way south to warmer places in fall and their way back in spring. The Sanctuary features three kilometres of hiking trails and a nature house. More than 240 species, with over 1.5 million birds pass through here annually. Thousands just stopping to rest and feed, others to spend the winter, and some species make this their year-round home. The Sanctuary is operated by the B.C. Waterfowl Society, a non-government, self-supporting non-profit organization.
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Ladner Village Market
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48th Avenue, Ladner Village
(604) 946-7820
Every Sunday from June 1 through August 31.
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Ladner's Landing
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A series of self guided walking tours - Ladner's Landing..., Beyond Ladner 's Landing, Across the Bridge..., Port Guichon.
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Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary
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Located in Ladner.
Managed by the B.C. Waterfowl Society, it is an important resting point for many species on their annual migrations north and south.
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SplashDown Park
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4799 Nu Lelum Way (Delta)
(604) 943-2251
This 13-slide 10-acre fun spot is Vancouver's only waterpark. In addition to the slides, the park features hot tubs, picnic areas, beach volleyball and basketball. The park is only minutes from the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal
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Delta Parks
Here are the most popular parks in Delta (Map),
from north to south (see other area parks):
Deas Island Regional Park (Delta)
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This 71 hectare park is on the south bank of the Fraser River, east of Massey
Tunnel. The park has a viewing tower, with scenic views and an interpretive
display of Fraser River. On the river is bar fishing and a canoe launch. The
park has several trails through its sand dunes and coastal marshes. There are
several historic buildings in the park, including Burrvilla, a stately house
built in 1906; Inverholme, a one-room schoolhouse, built in 1909; and the Delta
Agricultural Hall built in 1894. The park also has a great view of cars disappearing
into the George Massey Tunnel under the Fraser River.
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George C. Reifel Bird Sanctuary (5191 Robertson Road)
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This 850-acre sanctuary on Delta's Westham Island, is 10 kilometres west of
Ladner. The Sanctuary is a major resting place for thousands of birds migrating
south in fall and north in spring. The Sanctuary has three kilometres of hiking
trails and a nature house. Over 1.5 million birds from over 240 species pass
through here each year.
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Ladner Harbour Park (5100 Block River Road, Ladner)
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This park extends into the Ladner Reach of the South Arm of the Fraser River.
It is a favourite meeting spot for families, with its picnic areas and playground.
There’s even a walkway with a view of Ladner’s harbour. For the athletically
inclined, there are also trails for walking or running, and a beach on the Fraser
River for swimmers.
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Rotary Park (Clarence Taylor Crescent, Ladner)
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This park is in the middle of everything in Ladner, across from the Delta Hospital,
and beside the Municipal Hall. This park also is home to the Ladner Leisure
Centre.
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Diefenbaker Park (56th Street at 1st Avenue, Boundary Bay)
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This park, on the road to Point Roberts (USA) is a favourite meeting spot for
families, with its picnic areas and playground. For the athletically inclined,
there are also trails for walking or running.
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Boundary Bay Regional Park & Centennial Park (Centennial Parkway, Boundary
Bay)
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This 39 hectare park features 1.6 km of shoreline on Boundary Bay. You have
a view, about 8 kilometres away of White Rock and South Surrey. The excellent
sandy beach makes this beach a favourite spot for swimming, and also for crabbing
(catching crabs).
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Community Map
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