Manitoba Heritage Council Commemorative Plaques

Stockton Ferry

The Rural Municipality of South Cypress opened this ferry on the Assiniboine River in 1887, a year after the Manitoba South Western Colonization Railway reached Glenboro. The ferry consisted of a wooden scow attached to a moveable cable which was angled across the river, allowing the current to pull the scow across. From mid-April to mid-November it provided everyday transport for local residents and enabled grain to be hauled to the railway. An ice bridge replaced the ferry during the winter.

A focal point of community activity, the crossing was a place where neighbours met to exchange local news and where dances and parties were held during the summer. One of 150 ferry operations on Manitoba's waterways, the Stockton crossing exemplifies the importance of ferries and river travel to communities distant from bridges or railway branch lines.