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Barnston
Island
Barnston Island is located in the Fraser River just across Parsons
Channel from the north side of the Surrey community of Port Kells.
From Barnston Island across the Fraser River's Bishops Reach is
the community of Pitt Meadows.
Ferry
to Barnston Island
To access the island you have to take a barge-type ferry that is
pushed across the Fraser River using a small tugboat. The free-on-demand
ferry has limited space for only 5 vehicles and 52 passengers and
usually takes only five minutes to cross over to Barnston Island
from Port Kells.
Ferry
Terminal
The Barnston Island ferry terminal is accessed from the Trans-Canada
Hwy 1 in Surrey. Travel a short distance
north on 176th Street to 104th Avenue. You then cross the C.N. Railway
tracks, then go east to the end of 104th Avenue to where the sawmill
and the parking lot for the ferry are located.
No
Parking on the Island
If you do travel to Barnston Island, one thing you should remember
there is no public parking allowed along the local roadways. So
you either have to walk or cycle along the only road that circles
the island which forms around a 9.8 km (6.2 miles) perimeter loop.
Local
Farmers
Barnston Island is home to mostly local dairy farmers some going
back to the early 1900's. There are no stores or services present
on Barnston Island with the only public area being a section of
the Surrey Bend Regional Park situated on the west side at Robert
Point.
Katzie
First Nations
The Katzie First Nations have a small reserve located on the south
side of Barnston Island with a view towards Parsons Channel and
the C.N. Railway tracks. The Katzie First Nation Band also has a
small reserve on the south-east side of the island with traditional
fishing grounds in the river.
Surrey
Bend Regional Park
The Robert Point Rest Area section of Surrey Bend Regional Park
is only 1.8 km (1.1 mile) from the ferry terminal. The rest area
has wheelchair-accessible trails, picnic tables and has pit toilets
available.
Keep
Dogs Leashed
If you do take a dog, please remember that the farmers are very
protective of their livestock so dogs are required to be leashed
and under control. Also, the river can sometimes be flowing quickly
and quite dangerous, so please be careful and watch your children
and pets.
Information
on Barnston Island
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