B.C.’s Transportation Minister was in the area today and helped commemorate 100 years of operation for the McLure Ferry.

Claire Trevena points out the ferry was one the only evacuation option during the McLure-Barriere and Strawberry Hill wildfires in 2003, and is a detour for any emergency on the highway.

“It’s also important for people who live in the region or just want to travel through the region,” Trevena says. “It’s a way to link communities to make sure you have that access. The service has been operating for 100 years and the province now runs it, and we’ll be continuing to do so to make sure communities are connected.”

The ferry is one of only five “reaction” ferries still running in B.C., meaning it runs on a cable and is pulled by the current of the river. Other reaction ferries are in Little Fort, Lytton, Big Bar – west of Clinton – and in northern B.C.

To mark 100 years, the province will be installing a provincial coat of arms and a commemorative plaque at the McLure Ferry.