We suppose that Frances Harrington Park came to be as a resting place for a unique artefact following its retirement from active service. Said 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 until 1985 or '86, 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
North Bend Aerial Ferry
From 1940 to 1986,the only aerial automobile ferry in North America, the North Bend -Boston Bar Aerial Car Ferry, operated between the communities of North Bend and Boston Bar located on opposite sides of the Fraser River in the British Columbia Fraser Canyon region.
From the Postal History Corner