British Columbia Electric Railway
Encyclopedia
The British Columbia Electric Railway (BCER) was a historic Canadian
railway
which operated in southwestern British Columbia
.
Originally the parent company, and later a division, of BC Electric
, the BCER operated public transportation in southwestern British Columbia
from its establishment in the mid-1890s, operating streetcar systems in Vancouver, New Westminster
, North Vancouver
and Victoria
.
Power was supplied by then-innovative diversion projects at Buntzen Lake
and on the Stave River
system farther east, all of which were built primarily to supply power for the interurban
s and street railway. A 6 miles (9.7 km) branch line, the Stave Falls Branch, isolated from the main interurban network, ran the 6 miles (9.7 km) to the power plant
and community at Stave Falls from the Canadian Pacific Railway
station at Ruskin, British Columbia
.
BCER interurban trams ran along 3 lines between Vancouver and New Westminster (via Burnaby
), as well as between Vancouver and Richmond
, New Westminster and Chilliwack
, and Victoria and North Saanich
. During and after the streetcar
era, BC Electric also ran bus
and trolleybus
systems in Greater Vancouver and Greater Victoria; these systems subsequently became part of BC Transit
. Trolley buses still run in Greater Vancouver, but had disappeared from Vancouver Island by 1952.
In 1961, the provincial government took over BC Electric, with the railway becoming a division of Crown corporation BC Hydro
. In 1989, BC Hydro sold the railway to a new shortline operator and the railway is now known as the Southern Railway of British Columbia
and is exclusively a freight railway.
Part of the Vancouver Skytrain Expo Line follows the right-of-way of BCER's former Central Park Line through Burnaby to New Westminster. The Burnaby Lake line's right-of-way is largely taken up by the Trans-Canada Highway
but sections of it survive as walking and biking
powerline trails. The route of the Stave Falls Branch along Hayward Lake
is also now a walking trail managed by BC Hydro and the District of Mission, with sections of it south of Ruskin Dam
used as local powerline and neighbourhood walking trails.
In Victoria, the BCER built an electric interurban railway which connected to its street car system. The line ran along Burnside Road through Saanich to Brentwood, Saanichton and terminated in Deep Bay (Later renamed Deep Cove). The line ran from 1913 to 1924 and was one of three passenger railways to serve the Saanich Peninsula
for this period. Interurban Road uses or parallels the right of way for much of its distance. From Brentwood to Saanichton, Wallace Drive follows the approximate route of the line. North of the airport, Tatlow Road follows the route to Deep Cove.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
railway
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
which operated in southwestern British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
.
Originally the parent company, and later a division, of BC Electric
BC Hydro
The BC Hydro and Power Authority is a Canadian electric utility in the province of British Columbia generally known simply as BC Hydro. It is the main electric distributor, serving 1.8 million customers in most areas, with the exception of the Kootenay region, where FortisBC, a subsidiary of Fortis...
, the BCER operated public transportation in southwestern British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
from its establishment in the mid-1890s, operating streetcar systems in Vancouver, New Westminster
New Westminster, British Columbia
New Westminster is an historically important city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada, and is a member municipality of the Greater Vancouver Regional District. It was founded as the capital of the Colony of British Columbia ....
, North Vancouver
North Vancouver, British Columbia
There are two municipalities in the Greater Vancouver region of British Columbia, Canada, that use the name North Vancouver. These are:*The City of North Vancouver...
and Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
.
Power was supplied by then-innovative diversion projects at Buntzen Lake
Buntzen Lake
Buntzen Lake is a 4.8 kilometres long lake in Anmore, British Columbia, Canada, in the Greater Vancouver area. It is named after the first general manager of the B.C. Electric Co., Johannes Buntzen...
and on the Stave River
Stave River
The Stave River is a tributary of the Fraser, joining it at the boundary between the municipalities of Maple Ridge and Mission, about 35 km east of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in the Central Fraser Valley region....
system farther east, all of which were built primarily to supply power for the interurban
Interurban
An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...
s and street railway. A 6 miles (9.7 km) branch line, the Stave Falls Branch, isolated from the main interurban network, ran the 6 miles (9.7 km) to the power plant
Stave Falls Dam
Stave Falls Dam is a dual-dam power complex on the Stave River in Stave Falls, British Columbia, Canada . The dam was completed in 1912 for the primary purpose of hydroelectric power production. To increase the capacity of Stave Lake, the dam was raised in 1925 and the Blind Slough Dam constructed...
and community at Stave Falls from the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
station at Ruskin, British Columbia
Ruskin, British Columbia
Ruskin is a rural and industrial area about 40 kilometres east of Vancouver, British Columbia straddling the border between the suburban municipalities of Maple Ridge and Mission, on the west bank of the lower Stave River.-History:...
.
BCER interurban trams ran along 3 lines between Vancouver and New Westminster (via Burnaby
Burnaby, British Columbia
Burnaby is a city in British Columbia, Canada, located immediately to the east of Vancouver. It is the third-largest city in British Columbia by population, surpassed only by nearby Surrey and Vancouver....
), as well as between Vancouver and Richmond
Richmond, British Columbia
Richmond is a coastal city, incorporated in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Part of Metro Vancouver, its neighbouring communities are Vancouver and Burnaby to the north, New Westminster to the east, and Delta to the south, while the Strait of Georgia forms its western border...
, New Westminster and Chilliwack
Chilliwack, British Columbia
Chilliwack is a Canadian city in the Province of British Columbia. It is a predominantly agricultural community with an estimated population of 80,000 people. Chilliwack is the second largest city in the Fraser Valley Regional District after Abbotsford. The city is surrounded by mountains and...
, and Victoria and North Saanich
North Saanich, British Columbia
North Saanich is located on the Saanich Peninsula, approximately 25 km north of Victoria, British Columbia on southern Vancouver Island...
. During and after the streetcar
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
era, BC Electric also ran bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
and trolleybus
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
systems in Greater Vancouver and Greater Victoria; these systems subsequently became part of BC Transit
BC Transit
BC Transit is a provincial crown agency responsible for coordinating the delivery of public transportation within British Columbia, Canada, outside of Greater Vancouver...
. Trolley buses still run in Greater Vancouver, but had disappeared from Vancouver Island by 1952.
In 1961, the provincial government took over BC Electric, with the railway becoming a division of Crown corporation BC Hydro
BC Hydro
The BC Hydro and Power Authority is a Canadian electric utility in the province of British Columbia generally known simply as BC Hydro. It is the main electric distributor, serving 1.8 million customers in most areas, with the exception of the Kootenay region, where FortisBC, a subsidiary of Fortis...
. In 1989, BC Hydro sold the railway to a new shortline operator and the railway is now known as the Southern Railway of British Columbia
Southern Railway of British Columbia
The Southern Railway of British Columbia, branded as SRY Rail Link is a Canadian short line railway operating in the southwestern mainland of British Columbia. The main facility is the port at Annacis Island with major import of cars, export of forestry products, and other shipments...
and is exclusively a freight railway.
Part of the Vancouver Skytrain Expo Line follows the right-of-way of BCER's former Central Park Line through Burnaby to New Westminster. The Burnaby Lake line's right-of-way is largely taken up by the Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
but sections of it survive as walking and biking
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
powerline trails. The route of the Stave Falls Branch along Hayward Lake
Hayward Lake
Hayward Lake is a lake and reservoir on the Stave River in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Located in the District of Mission about 60 km east of Vancouver, Hayward Lake is formed by Ruskin Dam, which lies about 3 km upstream from the Stave River's confluence with the...
is also now a walking trail managed by BC Hydro and the District of Mission, with sections of it south of Ruskin Dam
Ruskin Dam
Ruskin Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Stave River in Ruskin, British Columbia, Canada. The dam was completed in 1930 for the primary purpose of hydroelectric power generation...
used as local powerline and neighbourhood walking trails.
In Victoria, the BCER built an electric interurban railway which connected to its street car system. The line ran along Burnside Road through Saanich to Brentwood, Saanichton and terminated in Deep Bay (Later renamed Deep Cove). The line ran from 1913 to 1924 and was one of three passenger railways to serve the Saanich Peninsula
Saanich Peninsula
The Saanich Peninsula is located north of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It is bounded by the Saanich Inlet on the west, and various straits of the Gulf of Georgia on the east, chiefly Haro Strait The exact southern boundary of what is referred to as the "Saanich Peninsula" is somewhat fluid...
for this period. Interurban Road uses or parallels the right of way for much of its distance. From Brentwood to Saanichton, Wallace Drive follows the approximate route of the line. North of the airport, Tatlow Road follows the route to Deep Cove.
See also
- Point Ellice Bridge DisasterPoint Ellice Bridge DisasterOn May 26, 1896 in Victoria, British Columbia, a streetcar crowded with 143 holidaymakers on their way to attend celebrations of Queen Victoria’s birthday, crashed through Point Ellice Bridge into the Upper Harbour. 55 men, women and children were killed in the accident, making this one of the...
- Nelson Electric TramwayNelson Electric TramwayThe Nelson Electric Tramway is a heritage railway in Nelson, British Columbia, Canada. It uses two restored vintage streetcars which carry tourists along Nelson's waterfront and was the first operating heritage streetcar line in British Columbia. The service is seasonal, starting on the Easter...
(restoration/operation of a former BCER tram)
