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Albion Ferry :

The days are numbered for the Albion Ferry boats Kulleet and Klatawa.

The Albion Ferry is a free passenger and vehicle ferry service (which runs every 15 minutes; From 5:30am until 1:30am) on the Fraser River between Albion, in Maple Ridge, and McMillan Island which is adjacent to Fort Langley, in the (Township of Langley) in British Columbia. The two ferries, the Kulleet and the Klatawa are operated by TransLink, the regional transit authority in the Greater Vancouver Area. Previous vessels included the T'Lagunna, which is the Halqemeylem name for the Golden Ears. The ferry service is scheduled to be retired when the Golden Ears Bridge is opened, in June of 2009. This new bridge will be a toll bridge.

The ferry has been operational since June 7th 1957 and employs 59 full-time and 18 auxiliary employees. In 2003, annual traffic amounted to 1.5 million vehicles and 4.0 million passengers. In June of 2007 it celebrated its 50th anniversary, and was designated as a historical place in Maple Ridge at a anniversary party held.
The Kulleet and Klatawa are now operated by Fraser River Marine Transportation. This company operates under contract to Translink, the regional transportation authority.
The Kulleet was built for the BC Ministry of Transportation. The Ministry operated the Albion route until 1999, when it was turned over to Translink.
Between 1976 (possibly 1973) and 1985, the Kulleet operated between Chemainus - Thetis Island - Kuper Island and on other minor routes for the Ministry of Transportation. In 1985, she joined her sister on the Albion route.
In 1988, the Kulleet got new dual-fuel diesel/natural gas engines.
The name Kulleet is taken from a native tribe on Vancouver Island and a bay north of Chemainus.

Statistics M.V. Kulleet
Official Number 0345956
Place Built North Vancouver, BC
Builder Vancouver Shipyards Ltd.
Year Built 1972
Passenger Capacity 150
Vehicle Capacity 26
Length 47.46 m
Breadth 12.25 m
Gross Tons 355.04
Service Speed 10 knots
Propulsion/Horsepower 2 - 325 horsepower diesel/natural gas engines

Photographed from the Maple Ridge Side of the Fraser River - September 04, 2008.