False Creek Ferries, a division of Granville Island Ferries Ltd,[3] is a privately owned and operated ferry service that operates on False Creek near downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The False Creek Ferry fleet has grown from the four electric ferries that formed the company to a fleet that now consists of 17 ferries divided into three classes; the 20-passenger Balfry class, the 12-passenger Spirit class, and the open-deck Novel class. The service operates every day of the year, except Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
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| Locale | Granville Island, Vancouver |
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| Waterway | False Creek, English Bay |
| Transit type | Passenger ferry Water taxi |
| Owner | Granville Island Ferries Ltd. |
| Operator | False Creek Ferries |
| Began operation | 1982 |
| System length | 2.1 nmi (3.9 km) |
| No. of lines | 3[1] |
| No. of vessels | 17[2] |
| No. of terminals | 9[1] |
| Website | granvilleislandferries |
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Ferry service on False Creek was established in 1981 by Brian and Laura Beesley from Granville Island using four electric ferries. The ferries were 18 feet long and powered by 36 volt electric motors. Six, 6 volt rechargeable deep cycle batteries supplied the fuel . They were originally named after the Beesley's relatives: Alice May, Iris Maud, Nora Eileen and Juanita Dee.[4] Although the original fleet has since been removed from regular service, three have found new life in differing capacities. The Alice May was renamed the Shelagh Mary and remains in the False Creek Ferries fleet as a crew launch. The Juanita Dee was sold & now operates out of the Ganges Marina on Saltspring Island as "The Queen of De Nile". The Iris Maud has been completely rebuilt and is now the private steam launch "Crouton" in Kelowna, BC.
In 1982, False Creek Ferry Ltd was sold to George McInnis and George Pratt who incorporated the company as Granville Island Ferries Ltd and operated it as False Creek Ferries.[4] The company began operations at the Aquatic Centre dock in the West End on August 1, 1983 with two newly commissioned 12-passenger ferries, "Spirit of False Creek 1" and "Spirit of False Creek 2", which were built using designs by Jay Benford. These were the first two vessels of Benford's Spirit class.[5] In 1984 the "Tymac II" was leased by False Creek Ferries for the newly created Maritime Museum run to Kitsilano pending completion of the remaining three Spirit class ferries, "Spirit of False Creek 3", "Spirit of False Creek 4" and "Spirit of False Creek 5".[6]
In 1985, George Pratt sold his share in Granville Island Ferries to George McInnis. Following George Pratt's departure from Granville Island Ferries, his son Geoff Pratt incorporated Aquabus Ferries Ltd to compete against Granville Island Ferries.[7]
| Line | Route | Peak departure frequency | Off-peak departure frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aquatic Centre — Granville Island | 2 minutes | 5 minutes |
| 2 | Granville Island — Kitsilano/Maritime Museum | 10 minutes | 15 minutes |
| 3 | Granville Island — Olympic Village/Science World | 7 minutes | 15 minutes |
Routes operate between the following locations:
The stops are served by three routes. Passengers wishing to use multiple routes may purchase a through fare for transferring at either the Granville Island or Aquatic Centre hubs.
