In 1896, the Canadian Pacific Railway's (CP) Revelstoke–Arrowhead branch line opened along the east side of the Columbia River.

The next year, the subsidy ended, and the Interior Tug and Transport Co. won the contract for a Beaton–Arrowhead–Nakusp–Castlegar service.

In 1956, the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation took over the route and bought the vessel, renaming it the Lardeau.

[6][7] In 1968, the Arrowhead branch line closed,[8] the western ferry terminal relocated to Shelter Bay (after the reservoir for the Keenleyside Dam flooded the former Arrowhead),[9] and ferry fares were eliminated on the Upper Arrow Lake.

2014: Designed and built by WaterBridge Steel at Nakusp, the 80-vehicle, 250-passenger capacity MV Columbia was introduced to replace the two smaller vessels.

Wider lanes and improved ramp transitions allowed faster loading and unloading.

An underwater dive team attached a tow truck cable to the submerged vehicle, which was lifted from the water.