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Post by Shane on Apr 8, 2006 14:18:22 GMT -8
Has anyone heard of the ferry that ran from the mining town of Granisle in northern BC to the Granisle Mine. I found this site www.mineralsnorth.ca/pdf/booker_apr04.pdfAnd it shows what I think is the ferry on page 6. There is a ferry/self propelled barge that sails from Topley Landing to the logging roads on the other side of the lake, there is active logging happening on the other side of the lake. Here is a pic of the ferry.  Can anyone help with this mystery? |
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Post by Balfour on Apr 8, 2006 15:05:11 GMT -8
I've never heard of this ferry until today. I bet it's an important part of the BC economy though, considering it links logging roads.
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Post by Shane on Apr 9, 2006 13:30:11 GMT -8
Hmmmm,
This is a tough one.
Does anyone know about this ferry/ferries(possibly)?
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Post by jjr on Apr 9, 2006 18:53:39 GMT -8
Yep - the ferry is called the Babine Charger - operated by Finlay Navigation Ltd. It is registered with Transport Canada - here is the TC webpage with all the specs of the ferry - forms.cta-otc.gc.ca/CVIS/Ship_e.cfm?ShipID=812703 - and here is a picture of the ferry loaded with logging trucks (if I can manage to attach it to this post - which I can't but I will if someone tells me how to attach/insert a jpg file). And here is an excerpt of a story from a logging truck driver who runs over this route from the other side of Babine Lake into Houston Forest Products ... "A large ferry, the Babine Charger takes forty minutes round-trip to ferry 8 to 9 trucks across the frozen Babine Lake. One hundred and fifty feet beneath the barge is a submerged airhose that releases enough bubbles to keep the ice broken up between the two shores. Andrew usually takes this time to read a book but today he takes me upstairs to meet the captain of the Babine Charger "Captain Crunch" (Craig MacArthur). I learn that 140 trucks cross here everyday!". |
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Post by jjr on Apr 9, 2006 19:00:52 GMT -8
OK I think I figured out how to post a picture ...  |
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Post by jjr on Apr 9, 2006 19:13:41 GMT -8
Amazing what an internet search will find ... Finlay Navigation also runs a log truck ferry across Williston Lake called the Williston Navigator ... and Finlay Navigation used to be owned by BC Rail but was unloaded in 2003 when BC Rail decided to sell BCR Marine Services ... and the company that built both the Babine Charger and the Williston Navigator was the successful P3 bidder to build and run a replacment for the Francois Lake Ferry ...
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Post by jjr on Apr 9, 2006 19:18:46 GMT -8
OK - it might be called the Williston Transporter (not Navigator as I said in my previous post) and is used by Slocan Forest Products (but operated by Finlay Navigation) to move logs on Williston Lake - some trips can be a 54 hour round trip up and down Williston Lake ...
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Post by jjr on Apr 9, 2006 19:25:45 GMT -8
Well I don't think we can call the Williston Transporter a ferry ... it doesn't move vehicles, but rather bundles of logs (and two log loaders so maybe it is a ferry).  |
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Post by jjr on Apr 9, 2006 19:40:45 GMT -8
And now I jump to the Francois Lake Ferry - but the connection is that it is built and run by Waterbridge Equipment - the same company that built both the Babine Charger and the Williston Transporter - excerpt from a ScotiaBank report:
"Ferry service is an essential component of the quality of life in the Lakes district of B.C., offered at no charge to the public for 18 hours per day, seven days a week.
The new vessel built by Waterbridge is a 220-foot (67.06-metre) ferry that was constructed in sections over a six-month period last year.
As a full-fledged passenger vessel, it was designed with optimum fuel consumption in mind, in compliance with Transport Canada guidelines.
Launched on Francois Lake in October 2004, the Francois Forester is now in full operation. The vessel provides space for at least eight logging trucks, 20 other vehicles, 145 passengers and five crew members, doubling the capacity of the previous ferry."
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Post by Shane on Apr 10, 2006 6:43:23 GMT -8
Wow!
Thanks for the info, Jjr!
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Post by Retrovision on Apr 10, 2006 14:34:29 GMT -8
yeah, cheers! *all* of that is interesting information that is new to me; thanks.  |
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Neil
Voyager 
Posts: 7,309
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Post by Neil on Apr 10, 2006 16:36:12 GMT -8
I'm assuming the Francois Forester is doing the same run the Omineca Princess used to do; what has become of her?
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Post by jjr on Apr 10, 2006 18:15:11 GMT -8
Yes the Francois Forester is on the same run - here is the website for the schedule www.francoislakeferry.com/ - no pictures, nothing. I'm not sure what happened to the Omineca Princess - and I'm looking around for a picture of the Francois Forester. |
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Post by Shane on Apr 10, 2006 18:23:41 GMT -8
I've never seen a picture of the Francois Forester.
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Post by Retrovision on Apr 11, 2006 13:19:26 GMT -8
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Post by Retrovision on Apr 11, 2006 13:43:08 GMT -8
Yep - the ferry is called the Babine Charger - operated by Finlay Navigation Ltd. It is registered with Transport Canada - here is the TC webpage with all the specs of the ferry - forms.cta-otc.gc.ca/CVIS/Ship_e.cfm?ShipID=812703 - and here is a picture of the ferry loaded with logging trucks (if I can manage to attach it to this post - which I can't but I will if someone tells me how to attach/insert a jpg file). And here is an excerpt of a story from a logging truck driver who runs over this route from the other side of Babine Lake into Houston Forest Products ... "A large ferry, the Babine Charger takes forty minutes round-trip to ferry 8 to 9 trucks across the frozen Babine Lake. One hundred and fifty feet beneath the barge is a submerged airhose that releases enough bubbles to keep the ice broken up between the two shores. Andrew usually takes this time to read a book but today he takes me upstairs to meet the captain of the Babine Charger "Captain Crunch" (Craig MacArthur). I learn that 140 trucks cross here everyday!".   (found here: forest-education.info/ourforests/news/bltour/bltour1.html ) |
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Post by Shane on Apr 11, 2006 15:02:47 GMT -8
Wow, I didn't even know about that.
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