Prior to European settlement, the Tsawwassen
Indians, a band of the Coast Salish, inhabited
Delta. They lived above high tide level on
the beach south of Ladner near what is now
the Tsawwassen Reserve. The Tsawwassen First
Nations people came to the swampy low-lying
areas to obtain food.
Delta's flatland region was often submerged
and remained virtually unexplored until sighted
by a group of Hudson's Bay Company men in
1822. Thirty-six years later two British gold
seekers, en route to the Cariboo gold fields,
were attracted by Delta's agricultural potential
and decided to settle there. Thomas and William
Ladner returned in 1868 and each pre-empted
160 acres for farming. By 1879 present day
Ladner had been staked out and granted municipal
status.
By the turn of the century Ladner's Landing
was the thriving centre of Delta's farming
and fishing community. An extensive dyking
and drainage system alleviated the flooding
problems that had previously plagued Delta
farmers, enabling them to produce bountiful
crops from the fertile soil.
Numerous canneries located along the Fraser
River provided seasonal employment for many
of Ladner's Chinese residents. The Chinese
community was located on the dyke along River
Road until 1914, when most of the buildings
in Chinatown were destroyed by fire.
By the early 1900's Ladner was a prosperous
community that boasted a variety of goods
and services to accommodate a growing population.
Both John and Lu look forward to helping you
find a home and get settled in our beautiful
neighborhood.
For more information on Delta please visit
our cities corporate site.
