Description of Historic Place

Ladner's Landing was originally the name given to the site of the first Government Wharf and Municipal Hall, and was also the name given to the village settlement that grew up in this area. Ladner's Landing is represented today by the remnants of the original landing pilings stretching into an inlet of the Fraser River at the foot of Elliot Street in the Village of Ladner.

Heritage Value

The site of Ladner's Landing is significant as representative of Ladner's early settlement and development patterns, and as an early nexus of transportation.

Ladner's Landing was established initially as a place to drop off and pick up goods and people along the Fraser River, as paddle steamers and a variety of other watercraft would stop here during voyages up and down the waterway. Prior to that, the waters bordering Ladner's Landing, including Ladner's Reach and Chilukthan Slough, were used by First Nations peoples for transportation and fishing. When European settlers arrived to farm the rich alluvial soils of Delta, they found that it was impractical to build roads, as the low-lying farmlands were prone to flooding. Chilukthan Slough, and other internal waterways, provided the only reliable access to farms that lacked frontage on the Strait of Georgia. These waterways allowed for the movement of both goods and people, facilitating settlement as well as agricultural and industrial development; it was during this initial period of industry and development that Ladner's Landing was established as an important stop along the Fraser River.

Ladner's Landing has historic value for representing the birth of an important community along the Fraser River and as the site of municipal government, commerce and industry. In 1873, the Government Wharf was built at what is now known as Ladner's Landing, permitting the stopover of ferries and the delivery of mail, goods and produce. Spurred by this initial development, industry was attracted to the area. The Delta Cannery, built in 1878, was located adjacent to Ladner's Landing as was the first Grant & Kerr Sawmill. Due to its strategic location, many of Ladner's first farmers pre-empted land adjoining Chilukthan Slough and Ladner's Reach (which both flow south to join the Straight of Georgia) including brothers William Ladner (1826-1907) and Thomas Ladner (1836-1922), the Arthurs and the Parmiters. In 1868, William H. Ladner pre-empted the 160 acres of land on what is now the Village of Ladner. In 1882, Ladner sold eight acres to New Westminster businessman Donald Chisholm and by 1888, a section of the eight acres was turned into the Ladner townsite, and the community continued to develop.

The establishment of the Government Wharf paved the way for Ladner to play an important role in the fishing industry, and also contributed significantly to the ethnic diversity of Ladner Village as many families, a significant number of them Chinese, were attracted to the seasonal employment provided by the canneries along the Fraser River. The increase in settlers, industry, and activity at Ladner's Landing prompted the establishment of village amenities; a Municipal Hall was constructed near the Government Wharf, which was soon followed by the Delta Hotel and Saloon and McNeely's General Store, all developed prior to the year 1900. These early buildings have not survived; the only physical remnant of this early development is the original wharf pilings. The historic Village of Ladner, however, owes its existence to the original Ladner's Landing.

SOURCE: Corporation of Delta, Planning Department

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of Ladner's Landing include its:
- original surviving wharf pilings
- present-day dock, which maintains and symbolizes the relationship between the Village of Ladner and the Fraser River
- waterfront landscape reflecting the agricultural and fishing origins of the Ladner community