Delta, British Columbia | |||
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Country | Canada | ||
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Province | British Columbia | ||
Regional District | Greater Vancouver | ||
Incorporated | 1879 | ||
Government | |||
- Mayor | Lois Jackson | ||
- Governing body | Delta Municipal Council | ||
- MPs | John Cummins, Sukh Dhaliwal | ||
- MLAs | Guy Gentner, Val Roddick | ||
Area | |||
- Land | 183.70 km² (70.9 sq mi) | ||
Elevation | 10 m (33 ft) | ||
Population (2007) | |||
- Total | 101,668 (Ranked 50th) | ||
- Density | 279.3/km² (723.4/sq mi) | ||
- Demonym | Deltan | ||
Time zone | PST (UTC-8) | ||
Postal code span | V4C to V4G, V4K to V4M | ||
Area code(s) | +1-604/778 | ||
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Website: Delta.BC.ca |
Delta is a district municipality in British Columbia, and forms part of Metro Vancouver. Located south of Richmond, it is bordered by the Fraser River to the north, the United States (Point Roberts, Washington) to the south and the city of Surrey to the east. Delta is composed of three distinct communities: Ladner, Tsawwassen and North Delta.
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Prior to European settlement, Delta's flatlands and coastal shores were inhabited by the Tsawwassen indigenous peoples, of the Coast Salish First Nations . The land was first sighted by Europeans in 1791, when Spanish explorer Lieutenant Francisco de Eliza mistook the area for an island and named it "Isla Capeda". The first Europeans to settle in the area were Thomas and William Ladner, who began farming the area in 1868. Farming and fishing helped the community grow quickly over the next few decades. In 1879, the area was incorporated to become "Delta", and the village of Ladner was made as its administrative centre.
Due to its geography, Delta was a relatively isolated community. The completion of the George Massey Tunnel in 1959 linking Ladner to Richmond and Vancouver along with the opening, in 1960, of the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal and the Highway 99 being rerouted from the King George Highway in Surrey in 1962 to a new route through Delta, ended Delta's isolation and resulted in a massive 400% population growth over the next 20 years. The 1986 completion of the Alex Fraser Bridge connecting North Delta to New Westminster and Vancouver also helped Delta's growth.
Delta is located 27 kilometres (17 mi) south of Vancouver and 22 kilometres (14 mi) north of the U.S. border at Peace Arch, Surrey. It is bordered by water on three sides: The Fraser River to the north, the Georgia Strait to the west and Boundary Bay to the south.
At 364 square kilometres (140.5 sq mi), Delta is the largest municipality in the GVRD; the second largest is its neighbour to the east, Surrey, at 317.4 square kilometres (122.5 sq mi).
Delta's flat, fertile land has made it one of the most important agricultural areas in Greater Vancouver. The Agricultural Land Reserve regulations preserve most of this land for agricultural use, preventing its conversion to suburban housing. North Delta is also home to the Burns Bog, 10,000 acres (40 km²) of natural wetlands that are important for wildlife.
As of 2005, Delta's population was 102,655. About 23% of Delta's population are visible minorities, of which there are approximately 12,000 South Asians and 5,400 Chinese-Canadians. There are also about 1,400 Aboriginal peoples, some from the Tsawwassen Indian band, who still hold traditional lands on the Tsawwassen Indian Reserve as well as the Hwlitsum First Nation, at the mouth of the Fraser River.
Delta comprises three distinct, geographically separate communities:
Delta is governed by the Delta Municipal Council, led by a Mayor and six Councillors. They are elected for three-year terms, the last elections being held in November 2005. The current mayor is Lois Jackson. Unlike most communities in Canada, but like Vancouver and Richmond, Delta has a system of loosely organized, locally-based political parties such as Jackson's TriDelta.
Delta's rural-urban split is reflected in its politics, with urbanized North Delta voting more to the left, while rural western areas of Delta have voted more conservative. For example, in the 2005 elections to the British Columbia Legislature, the North Delta seat went to the New Democratic Party, while the other seat went to the BC Liberal Party.
Likewise, in the Canadian House of Commons, one of Delta's two seats is held by the Conservative Party while the other is held by the Liberal Party of Canada.
Delta, unlike most Lower Mainland municipalities, has its own police department.
Near Delta, British Columbia is the Arnott Substation (ART) the mainland terminal of the HVDC Vancouver Island.
Delta has many minor sports teams in hockey, baseball, and lacrosse. Over 160 young people play ringette in Delta. The Delta Ringette Association has 13 teams in 2005.
Club | Sport | League | Venue |
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Delta Ice Hawks | Ice Hockey | PIJHL | Ladner Leisure Centre |
North Delta Devils | Ice Hockey | PIJHL | Sungod Recreation Centre |
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Richmond | Burnaby, New Westminster, Coquitlam |
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Strait of Georgia | ![]() |
Surrey | |||||
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Point Roberts (Washington, USA) | Boundary Bay, White Rock, Surrey, Blaine (Washington, USA) |
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