Delta

Understand

History Prior to European settlement, Delta's flatlands and coastal shores were inhabited by the Tsawwassen indigenous peoples, of the Coast Salish First Nations. The land was first sighted by Europeans in 1791, when Spanish explorer Lieutenant Francisco de Eliza mistook the area for an island and named it "Isla Capeda". The first European settler in Delta was James Kennedy who pre-empted 135 acres in what later became Annieville in February 1860. Thomas and William Ladner, began farming the area named after them in 1868. Farming and fishing helped the community grow quickly over the next few decades. In 1879, the area was incorporated as a municipality, named "the Corporation of Delta", and the village of Ladner was made as its administrative centre. Due to its geography, Delta was a relatively isolated community. The completion of the George Massey Tunnel in 1959 linking Ladner to Richmond and Vancouver along with the opening, in 1960, of the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal and the Highway 99 being rerouted from the King George Highway in Surrey in 1962 to a new route through Delta, ended Delta's isolation and resulted in a massive 400% population growth over the next 20 years. The 1986 completion of the Alex Fraser Bridge connecting North Delta to New Westminster and Vancouver also helped Delta's growth.

Communities Delta comprises three distinct, geographically separate communities:

North Delta (pop: 51,623) is home to over half of Delta's population. It is a largely suburban area in north-east Delta bordered by the Burns Bog and Surrey. Ladner (pop: 21,112) is a 19th-century fishing village in north-west Delta that has expanded into a suburb. Fishing and farming are important industries. Ladner Trunk Road is its main street. Tsawwassen (pop: 20,933) is a suburban community in south-west Delta that calls itself the sunniest place in Metro Vancouver. Luxury waterfront homes line Tsawwassen's coast. Tsawwassen is also home to the busy Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal whi

Getting there

See Vancouver for options to get in the Vancouver area by plane, by bus, and by train, and by boat.

By car Highway 99 travels from the US border (where it becomes I5) through Delta and north to Richmond. Highway 10 travels east-west to Surrey. Highway 17 travels from Highway 99 in Ladner south to Vancouver (Tsawwassen) ferry terminal.

Border crossing 1 Boundary Bay - Point Roberts (Delta, BC (56th St) - Point Roberts, WA (Tyee Drive)). 24/7. Open to all vehicles. Point Roberts is on a peninsula. It is typically only reached from Canada and from other areas of the United States via this border crossing. (updated Aug 2023)

By boat BC Ferries, toll-free: +1-888-223-3779. Operates ferries connecting British Columbia coastal communities. (updated Apr 2022) 2 Vancouver (Tsawwassen) ferry terminal, 1 Ferry Causeway (connects directly with Highway 17). (updated Apr 2022) Destinations served by this terminal, all using ferries that carry vehicles and foot passengers Victoria (Swartz Bay) ferry terminal near Sidney (1 hour 35 minutes crossing). Inbound and outbound ferries normally depart at the top of the hour on odd numbered hours with first departure normally at 7 am and with last departure normally at 9 pm. During the summer, ferries depart hourly for most of the day. Southern Gulf Islands (Galiano Island, Mayne Island, Pender Island, Saltspring Island, and Saturna Island) (crossing time depends on how many stops made along the way and if a transfer is required; Galiano is the nearest of the islands and has a crossing time of 55 minutes), operating a limited number of trips each day. Transfers between ferries may be required for some trips. Nanaimo (Duke Point) ferry terminal (2 hour crossing), departing every 2.5 hours. Inbound and outbound ferries' normal daily departure times are at 5:15 am, 7:45 am, 10:15 am, 12:45 pm, 3:15 pm, 5:45 pm, 7:15 pm, and 10:45 pm, except that on Saturdays, the last departures are at 5:45 pm, and on Sundays, the first departures

Getting around

The Alex Fraser Bridge links Delta to New Westminster and Richmond. Public transportation in Delta is provided by the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority bus system. There is no rapid transit system in Delta, though the SkyTrain system in Surrey comes within 3 km of the city's borders.

By public transit TransLink, ☏ +1-604-953-3333. The main public transit network in the Vancouver area, including: Bowen Island, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Delta, Langley, Lions Bay, Maple Ridge, New Westminster, North Vancouver, Port Coquitlam, Pitt Meadows, Port Moody, Richmond, Surrey, Vancouver, West Vancouver, and White Rock. Its network includes buses, SkyTrain (rail rapid transit), SeaBus (ferries), West Coast Express (commuter rail), and HandyDART (door-to-door shared-ride service for those who cannot ride public transit without assistance). (updated Mar 2022) Passengers can pay for fares using Compass Cards ($6 refundable deposit), Compass Tickets, or tap-to-pay using contactless credit cards (only American Express, Mastercard or Visa) or mobile wallets. Passengers using Compass Cards and Compass Tickets pay discounted fares. Passengers can transfer for up to 90 minutes, except if taking West Coast Express, in which case they can transfer for up to 120 minutes. On bus and HandyDART, passengers can also pay in cash, but in that case will not receive change and are not eligible for transfers. Zone based fares apply between Monday and Friday for trips starting before 6:30 pm, if travel involves SkyTrain or SeaBus. Outside of those hours or for travel on only bus or HandyDART, a single zone rate applies. If traveling by West Coast Express, a higher cost zone based fare system applies regardless of time of travel. Children 12 and under can ride for free. People aged 13 to 18, and 65 and older pay discounted concession fares.

By bus Notable bus routes serving Delta include the following, which operate daily unless otherwise noted:

R6 - Between Scott Road sta

See

1 Boundary Bay Regional Park, ☏ +1 604-520-6442, [email protected]. It has a Centennial Beach, a popular sandy beach. During low tide, a huge area of water disappears, revealing wet sand and occasional sections ankle deep water that enable you to walk quite far out into Boundary Bay. There is also great birdwatching park as an internationally recognized Important Bird Area on the Pacific Flyway. Free. 2 George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, 5191 Robertson Road, ☏ +1 604-946-6980. Daily 9AM - 4PM, reservations required. A migratory bird sanctuary that is protect by the Government of Canada. Visitors are able to see a wide variety of birds in the wild. There is a fee to access the trails of the park (unlike Boundary Bay Regional Park, which has free access). Delta often wins the annual bird count for the most species of birds observed, so either of these parks are great places for bird-lovers. No dogs or bicycles. Adults $5, children (2-14 yr) $3, seniors (60 yr