By TERRY PUGH
The Clarkboro Ferry is back in business.
The cable ferry hit the water on Thursday, April 23, but a severe snowstorm that began on Friday, April 24 and continued over the weekend delayed the ferry’s opening by a few days. It was officially launched on its 60th season on Monday, April 27 at 6:05 a.m., according to the provincial Highway Hotline.
The busiest of the Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways’ (MHI) 12 ferries in the province, the Clarkboro Ferry carries more than 70,000 vehicles annually across the South Saskatchewan River between Warman and Aberdeen.
The ferries typically operate from April to November, but operations are dependent on weather, river levels and ice conditions.
The Clarkboro Ferry was built by the Dominion Bridge Company and was first put into operation in 1967. It is 18.2 meters (60 feet) in length, 6 meters (20 feet) in width, and weighs a total of 31,500 kilograms (69,400 pounds).
The Clarkboro Ferry is named for the community of Clarkboro, located southeast of the ferry’s eastern terminal. A historic plaque in the RM of Aberdeen marks the location of the former community. Both Clarkboro and Clark’s Crossing – a former community on the west side of the river located between Highways 11 and 12 – are named for John Fowler Clark, who homesteaded in the area in 1882.
The Hague and St. Laurent Ferries, located downstream from Clarkboro, are expected to begin operations soon. The Hague Ferry was built in 1972 by the Dominion Bridge Company, and the St. Laurent Ferry was built in 1971 by Fabco Ltd.