We suppose that Frances Harrington Park came to be as a resting place for a unique artefact following its retirement from active service. The artefact was the only free aerial automobile ferry to operate in North America, the North Bend - Boston Bar Aerial Car Ferry.
North Bend was established in the 1880s as the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was being laid through the Fraser Canyon on its way to Vancouver. Here the CPR was on the west side of the Fraser River. The town of North Bend grew up around the railway and prospered for many years, until the decline in rail travel and the advent of road travel. It then became isolated from the outside world by the river, as the Trans Canada Highway was built in the east side of the river. Also built on the east side was the Canadian Northern Railway in 1913, later to become the Canadian National Railway (CNR). The town of
Boston Bar grew around the CNR tracks, the two towns remaining isolated from each other for nearly 30 more years.
In 1940 the North Bend - Boston Bar Aerial Car Ferry was built to ferry cars and passengers across the Fraser River, remaining in operation in operation until 1986, at which time it was replaced by the
Cog Harrington Bridge. When the cable car was retired it was preserved by the citizens of Boston Bar and this park created to display it. Today the cable car is used as a picnic shelter. While it was in operation the ferry carried 2,037,579 vehicles, 6,092,434 people and made 1,610,789 round trips.
Old Postcard depicting the ferry in operation
Elsewhere in the park is another picnic table, a small grassed area several kiosks with a plethora of storyboards containing historic photos, a pictorial map of the Fraser Canyon and textual information on Boston Bar and North Bend.
We're not at all certain who Frances Harrington was, but a Walter "Cog" Harrington ran a Shell service station in Boston Bar, now the Fas Gas station. There's doubtless a connection between the two, possibly marriage.
Frances Harrington Park
The refurbished old aerial tram, which used to connect the the towns of Boston Bar and North Bend, sits prominently in Frances Harrington Park on Hwy 1. Storyboards that detail the history of the tram, North Bend, and Boston Bar are found around the perimeter of the park and were created by volunteers from photos and recollection of many of our towns' elders. Pictures painted on the back of the story boards were done by Rick Campbell. Please stop and enjoy your lunch on the picnic tables that are provided in this lovely little spot, and learn something!
From Boston Bar