The Long Way
Usk
An aerial view shows a red and white ferry boat carrying a backhoe across a river.
Plate I. Usk Reaction Ferry carrying equipment. From drivebc.ca
A work barge carrying an excavator on a river.
Plate II. Usk Reaction Ferry carrying heavy equipment. From www2.gov.bc.ca

Usk Reaction Ferry

Usk, British Columbia. Inland ferry.

Details

Where
Usk, BC. No street address stated. Directions
When
On demand; 6:45 am to 10:00 am; 11:00 am to 2:45 pm; 3:15 pm to 7:00 pm; 8:00 pm to 11:15 pm.
Getting there
Across the Skeena River, about 16 km northeast of Terrace, 0.8 km off Highway 16, between South and North Usk.
Fees
free of charge to users.
Access
Ferry capacity is 10 tonnes GVW and 12 passengers, including drivers. Vessel can carry 2 vehicles or 1 vehicle combination which cannot exceed 12 metres.
Phone
250 638 1881
Website
www2.gov.bc.ca
Managed by
Emil Anderson Maintenance.

The Usk ferry runs across the Skeena River, about 16 kilometres northeast of Terrace, 0.8 kilometres off Highway 16, between South and North Usk.

Notable Events

  1. 1917The cable snapped, setting the scow adrift until grounding near the Kitselas Canyon, where the passengers escaped. The operator lost two fingers. en.wikipedia.org
  2. 1920sThe privately run wooden ferry was taken over by the government. terracestandard.com
  3. 1936The reaction ferry was pulled from its tether when flooding engulfed the community; the vessel was found lodged several kilometres downstream, above Kitselas Canyon. thetyee.ca
  4. 1947The ferry's wooden pontoons were lost in a flood and replaced with steel pontoons. terracestandard.com
  5. 1948The superstructure of a 9.1-tonne ferry was renewed to provide a steel replacement for the former wooden ferry. New towers were built and a new cable installed. en.wikipedia.org
  6. 1950sThe valley's main travel corridor shifted across the river, leaving Usk isolated. thetyee.ca
  7. 1960sThe cable car, originally an open platform used to haul lumber from the mills across the river, got an enclosed pedestrian car for when the river is too high, too low or too dangerous for the reaction ferry. thetyee.ca
  8. 1961The cable car used when the ferry shuts down for winter was put in around 1961, Hamilton says. terracestandard.com
  9. 1967An aerial cage capable of carrying an operator and three adult passengers commenced for the wintertime, a basket-type aerial passenger ferry using the existing ferry cable. en.wikipedia.org
  10. 1968On June 11, 1968, the Prince George Citizen reported police searching for Russel Allan Chinn after his vehicle rolled off the Usk ferry into the Skeena River. thetyee.ca
  11. 2002The transportation minister announced a toll and reduced schedule for the route; the province paused the plan before the fee began, and the tolls were never implemented. thetyee.ca
  12. 2007During spring floods a large tree came down the river and its roots snagged the cable, breaking it. thetyee.ca
  13. 2013A commemorative plaque was placed and the Usk Ferry celebrated its 100th anniversary in October 2013. gent.name

People

  • Capt. William Francis Madden, Ferryman after the sternwheelers quit running.
  • Dan Hamilton, Usk ferry man (10 years).
  • Ernie Webb, Usk resident who oversees the small team of ferry operators.
  • Helene McRae, Former resident who crossed the Skeena to work at her father's sawmill.
  • Maureen Bostock, Ferry operator for several years while living in Usk (1978 to 1992).
  • William Seymour, Experienced ferry operator from nearby Kitselas First Nation.

Sources

  1. www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation/passenger-travel/water-travel/inland-ferries/usk-reaction-ferry
  2. drivebc.ca/?type=ferry&id=9
  3. drivebc.ca/?start=null&end=null&type=ferry&id=9
  4. terracestandard.com/2013/10/17/usk-ferry-marks-100-years-of-service
  5. thetyee.ca/Culture/2025/04/29/Case-Skeena-Last-River-Ferry