Delta

Fraser River delta municipality of Ladner, Tsawwassen, and North Delta, noted for ferries and birdwatching.

Delta is a municipality on the Fraser River delta, about 22km south of Vancouver, made up of three distinct communities: Ladner, Tsawwassen, and North Delta. For most travellers, Delta comes up because of Tsawwassen, where BC Ferries runs frequent services to Victoria and Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.

Ladner is the oldest part and has a quiet village feel. The wetlands and estuary marshes surrounding the area are exceptional for birdwatching — the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary on Westham Island draws serious birdwatchers from across the region, particularly in autumn when snow geese arrive in vast numbers. Burns Bog, the largest raised peat bog in North America, occupies a quarter of the municipality and is home to black bears, bald eagles, and carnivorous plants more typical of the subarctic.

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Getting There

Delta is about 22 kilometres south of downtown Vancouver. By car, take Highway 99 south from Vancouver and exit at Ladner/Tsawwassen (Highway 17). BC Transit runs the 601 and 620 bus routes from Vancouver connecting to Ladner and Tsawwassen, but service is limited and a car is much more practical for visiting Westham Island or Burns Bog.

The Tsawwassen BC Ferries terminal, at the southern end of Highway 17, runs frequent services to Swartz Bay (Victoria) and Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, and to the Southern Gulf Islands. This is the main reason most travellers pass through Delta.

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Things to Do

Delta's main attractions are natural — the bird sanctuary on Westham Island, the vast peat bog that occupies a quarter of the municipality, and the tidal flats of Boundary Bay. For most visitors passing through to the Tsawwassen ferry terminal, the Reifel Bird Sanctuary is the obvious stop.