South Cowichan Life Magazine

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Glimpses of Our Past
Slow But Steady
A driving trip to and from Victoria in the 1920s could be a hair raising
adventure. So in November 1924 two former naval officers, Kennaird
and Williams found a way to bypass the road by transporting vehicles
across Saanich Inlet.
They converted the 22 year old 90 foot coastal tramp steamer
Cascade, to allow vehicles to drive on bow and stern and
renamed her the Brentwood. Terminals were established about
10 metres south of the present dock at Brentwood and north of
the present dock at Mill Bay.
So much for an auspicious start, only a month after she began
this route the new ferry sank at her Brentwood dock. It was a
hard winter and Brentwood Bay had frozen over, while trying
to break through, the ice opened the seams in the wooden hull.
However she was quickly repaired and soon back on the job
In 1956 a new ferry called the Mill Bay was added and for two
years, the 54-year old Brentwood and the new Mill Bay operated
side by side providing half-hour service from both sides across
Saanich Inlet
In 1958 the Malahat Highway was improved and the Brentwood
was retired, leaving the Mill Bay to operate the route alone for
the next 52 years.
Headlines
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Page 4 South Cowichan life
Mi l l Bay /Ma l a h at Mu s e u M
Open the first Saturday of every month – 11:00-3:00
Located in Pioneer Centre, Mill Bay BC
Mill Bay Ferry Terminal
Photographs: Courtesy of BC Archives, Royal BC Museum
STORY
I’m sure many of you have travelled on the Mill Bay Ferry and
there’s a good chance that the vehicle you drive onto this ferry
with will have a bigger engine than the ferry itself
The Mill Bay is powered by one 8 cylinder engine producing
152 horsepower (less than many yachts and pleasure boats and
many of the cars it carries!).
Since the Mill Bay is so small, only carrying 18 cars, the docks
at each side are especially designed to accommodate the ferry,
meaning no other BC Ferry can replace her when she is out for
repairs or refit.
With 86 years and counting this route is “the oldest continuously
operated salt water ferry service in all of British Columbia.” It
also stands out as having the smallest and oldest ferry in the BC
Ferries fleet.