Ladner and Tsawwassen

The best of BOTH WORLDSTsawwassen

Ladner presents an entirely different sort of WaterSide community. While it too is located on the ocean, it is a river that imparts the greater impact. Not surprisingly, it has a different feel from the other communities. Tucked up against the south arm of the powerful Fraser River, much of Ladner’s appeal lies in the smaller scale of its buildings and tidy and historic town center.

The town dates to 1868 when two brothers, Thomas and William Ladner, squatted on parcels of land on opposite sides of the river. Four years later, a wharf was built to facilitate shipping farmers’ produce to other parts of British Columbia. Eventually a village grew up around what was known as Ladner’s Landing.

While many of the 20,000 residents commute to work in Vancouver and elsewhere, the river still plays a major role in the commerce and life of the town. Fishing boats carry on their trade from the Ladner docks while pleasure boaters take advantage of the short run out to sea and the Gulf Islands. Some residents like the water so much they have made their homes there. As you drive across the bridge on your way to the Reifel Bird Sanctuary, look to your left for a view of a floating houseboat community.

• Ladner is a great place to get out and walk or bike. Traffic generally is minimal and the terrain is flat. Wander the downtown area with its historic buildings and a very compelling local museum. Interesting shops and restaurants give you a chance to get out of the sun.
• If you’re looking for fresh seafood, look for the signs leading to the wharf at the end of Elliot and Chisholm streets. Here, fishers pull up and sell their daily catch. It doesn’t get any fresher than this.
• The entire delta region is an important stopover on the Pacific Flyway. Millions of birds take a breather in the fields and water before flying north or south, depending on the season. One of the best places to see this amazing birdlife is at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary. Take River Road West, follow the signs and turn right for the bridge to Westham Island. Keep your eyes open for a small park before the bridge if you’d like to take a small break. Quite often you’ll have a close up view of fat and happy sea lions sitting on fish processing docks or taking advantage of fishers hauling nets up in the river.
• Deas Island Regional Park has five kilometers of walking and biking trails that wander the banks of the Fraser River and Deas Slough. For a different kayaking adventure, try a paddle in the slough. The slough is also a favorite spot for water skiers and wakeboard enthusiasts who are looking for perfectly flat water.
• Another option is a walking tour at the Delta Nature Reserve, part of Burns Bog, the largest urban land reserve in North America. The bog is over 8,000 acres but the reserve itself is just 150 acres. It has three different trail loops that will lead you past beaver dams, meadows and evergreen groves. The bog’s inhabitants include deer, bear, bobcats, coyotes, Great Blue Herons and many more animals and birds.

Tsawwassen
Take any early evening or weekend day and the first-time visitor to the community of Tsawwassen will be struck in awe by the hundreds of kids playing baseball or soccer or field hockey.

Directing them are squads of volunteer coaches and cheering them on are parents, friends and siblings. Rain or shine, they’re out in one of the 22 parks dotting the landscape.
And that’s just the visible evidence of the importance of physical fitness to the people who live in the sunshine-blessed region south of the Fraser River.

Indoors, the recreation centers hold ice rinks for ice skaters and hockey teams, pools for swim teams, gymnastic centers for budding gymnasts and much, much more. And these are just the organized sports.

Everywhere you look, people are out running, walking, bike riding, roller blading, golfing, bird watching or, if the weather suits, swimming in what’s reputed to be the warmest waters north of San Francisco.

Conveniently located near Vancouver International Airport and home to the Tsawwassen ferry terminal, the area serves as both a destination and a point of departure. Take a walk-on ride ferry ride to a Gulf island.

Tsawwassen offers plenty of dining and shopping experiences and appeals to a wide range of budgets. Accommodations range from hotels to tent and RV camping. B&B proprietors who offer a countryside environment or waterside vistas provide a personal touch.

• Boundary Bay Regional Park is a great place to spot rare and not so rare species of birds. Trails wander through tide and wetlands ending at Centennial beach. This is a great place for a swim or a picnic or a barbeque.
• Like Ladner, Tsawwassen is bordered by dikes, perfect for walking, running, biking or even horseback riding. Boundary Bay Regional Trail has spectacular views in all directions but is especially beautiful looking south to the U.S. San Juan islands. One can walk, run, ride or canter for 20 kilometers one way if they wish.
• Boundary Bay is just one great place to go for a swim. The sand flats go out for a half-mile and when the tide comes in on a sunny day, the water is warmed to bathtub temperatures.
• The area has always been known for the fishing. For thousands of years, Coast Salish Indians made their home here harvesting salmon and were followed by immigrants who developed and worked in the salmon canneries. The Tsawwassen First Nation’s reserve sits at the entrance to the ferry causeway and deserves a stop to check out the Native Art Gallery and cafe specializing in native foods.
• Also close by the causeway is a leisure complex featuring a water park and other attractions. It’s a perfect place to cool down on a hot day.

Getting there...
By car: From B.C. Hwy 99. Follow Hwy 17 exit signs for Tsawwassen, Ladner and island ferries. At the first light on Hwy 10, turn right for Ladner.

By ferry: Follow causeway exit to signs for 56th Street, turn left and follow the road to Ladner. This back route takes you through farms and horse ranches. Also see border savy.

Useful Contacts
Area code: (604)
Emergency Services 911
B.C. Ferry Info 250/386-3431
Chamber of Commerce 946-4232
City Information 946-4141
Fire Department 946-8541
Library 946-6215
Museum 946-9322
Parks & Recreation 946-3293
Police 946-4411