Aquabus
| Locale | Granville Island, Vancouver |
|---|---|
| Waterway | False Creek |
| Transit type | Passenger ferry Water taxi |
| Owner | Aquabus Ferries Ltd. |
| Operator | Aquabus |
| Began operation | 1985 |
| No. of vessels | 18 |
| No. of terminals | 8 |
| Website | theaquabus |
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The Aquabus, also known as Aquabus Ferries Ltd., is a privately owned and operated ferry service that provides commuter and sightseeing services[1] to locations all along False Creek of central Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The Aquabus started service in 1985.
As of 2026 the service calls at eight docks between Hornby Street and False Creek South.[2][3]
History
[edit source]The beginning of ferry service throughout False Creek occurred in mid-1979 when Brian and Laura Beesley began operating a tour and water taxi service around Granville Island and False Creek.[3][4] The Aquabus Ferry Company was formed in 1986 by Jeff Pratt, the son of George Pratt who was a former partner at competitor Granville Island Ferries division False Creek Ferries.[1] It has since grown along with the population surrounding False Creek. Four Benford-designed ferries were in operation by Expo 86 and the additional three plus a bicycle ferry, Cyquabus I, were in service by 1995.[5] The heritage ferry, the Rainbow Hunter, was built in 1950.[6] As Vancouver grew, Aquabus incorporated two more larger bicycle ferries, the Cyquabus II and the Cyquabus III, in 2003[7] and 2006.[8] In mid-2008, one of the Benford ferries was converted to a fully electric propulsion system and was used as a test platform for Aquabus' exploration of alternative energy.[9] In the second quarter of 2010, the Aquabus Ferry Company acquired two new bicycle ferries, Cyquabus IV and Cyquabus V, and sold the heritage Rainbow Hunter.
Fleet
[edit source]The Aquabus fleet comprises eleven fully accessible vessels and seven vessels of the traditional Benford design used on False Creek.[10]
The accessible vessels accommodate bicycles, strollers, wheelchairs, and walk-on passengers. The Benford vessels are smaller craft designed for by naval architect Jay Benford; four were in service by Expo 86.[11]
Stops and routes
[edit source]Aquabus operates a water-taxi-style service on False Creek between eight numbered docks. Unlike the competing False Creek Ferries network, Aquabus does not publish separate colour-coded route lines; vessels call at all stops on the creek and passengers board at the nearest dock.[12][13]
Granville Island (Dock 2) is the central transfer point on the network.[12]
Stops
[edit source]The Aquabus makes these scheduled stops:[14]
| Dock | Stop | Location[15] |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hornby Street | South foot of Hornby Street |
| 2 | Granville Island | Next to the Arts Club Theatre |
| 3 | David Lam Park | At Homer Street, Yaletown |
| 4 | Stamp's Landing | Near Leg-in-Boot Square |
| 5 | Spyglass Place | Olympic Village, south shore beneath the Cambie Bridge |
| 6 | Yaletown | Foot of Davie Street |
| 7 | Plaza of Nations | Across from BC Place |
| 8 | The Village | False Creek South, near the pedestrian approach to BC Place and Science World |
See also
[edit source]- English Bay Launch – operates water taxis from Granville Island
References
[edit source]- 1 2 Parton, Nicole. "Battle of the ferries is a False Creek epic", Vancouver Sun, May 12, 1988, Page B-3.
- ↑ "Granville Island Works Canada | Arts Culture and Local Business in Vancouver BC — the People". Archived from the original on 2011-03-14. Retrieved 2010-05-31.
- 1 2 "Aquabus Ferries in Vancouver, British Columbia" Archived 2010-04-19 at the Wayback Machine, About.com, Accessed September 14, 2009.
- ↑ Vancouver Courier, Vol. 74 No. 48. December 1st, 1982 Page 1, 7
- ↑ Daniels, Alan. "Bus for bikes barges into False Creek ferry fleet", Vancouver Sun, July 26, 1995, Page D-1.
- ↑ "RAINBOW HUNTER (THE) (O.N. 193303)", Transport Canada registration, Accessed September 30, 2009.
- ↑ "CYQUABUS II (O.N. 825486)", Transport Canada registration, Accessed September 30, 2009.
- ↑ "CYQUABUS III (O.N. 828831)", Transport Canada registration, Accessed September 30, 2009.
- ↑ "Two Vancouver companies team up to play the ‘green’ game", Vancouver Board of Trade, May 2008.
- ↑ "About". Aquabus Ferries Ltd. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
All our routes are wheelchair, bicycle, pet and stroller friendly.
- ↑ "Ferry Yachts" (PDF). www.benford.us.
- 1 2 "Plan Your Trip with the Aquabus Granville Island False Creek Ferry". Aquabus Ferries Ltd. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
Vessels make stops up and down False Creek every 15 minutes
- ↑ "Aquabus False Creek Ferry Docks Map". Aquabus Ferries Ltd. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "Dock Locations". Aquabus Ferries Ltd. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "The Village Ferry Dock". Aquabus Ferries Ltd. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
External links
[edit source]
Media related to Aquabus in Vancouver at Wikimedia Commons- Official website
