Ladner

Delta’s original village

Ladner began as Ladner’s Landing, named after brothers William and Thomas Ladner, who came from Cornwall via the gold rushes and settled on either side of Chilukthan Slough in 1868. They turned to farming and fishing, and the village grew as a river port for canneries and farms on the delta. Ferries were the main link to the north until the George Massey Tunnel opened in 1959.

The village centre still feels like a small town. Low heritage buildings line Delta Street and the roads around it, and the Delta Museum and Archives sits in the middle of the village beside an old town clock. Ladner has long been popular with film crews looking for a classic small-town setting.

Harbour, sanctuary and farmland

Ladner Harbour Park, on the river just north of the village, has trails through cottonwood forest and views of floathomes and fishing boats in the channel. In summer, the Ladner Village Market brings local produce, crafts and live music to the streets on select Sundays.

A short drive west across the Westham Island bridge, the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary is one of the best bird watching sites in Canada. Snow geese gather in huge numbers in fall and winter, and sandhill cranes, ducks and owls are often seen from the trails. The island’s farms sell berries and produce in season.

Ladner also hosts Delta’s May Days, a community festival first held in 1896.

Ladner suits families and retirees who like a quieter pace, as well as visitors who want a day of cycling, birding and browsing. Bring a bike: the flat farm roads and dykes around the village are ideal for riding.