Ladner is a part of the City of Delta, British Columbia, Canada, and a suburb of Vancouver, British Columbia. It was created as a fishing village on the banks of the Fraser River. Named for Thomas and William Ladner, who came to the area in 1868 and began large farming and fishing operations, it developed as a centre for these operations. A series of ferries, culminating in the Ladner Ferry, allowed for access across the river to Richmond. The George Massey Tunnel provided a permanent connection in 1959. History Like many areas around the Fraser River on what is now Greater Vancouver the area on the south side of the south arm of the Fraser was named for the original Europeans to settle there. First called Ladner's Landing, the area was settled by Thomas Ellis Ladner (1837–1922) and William Henry Ladner (1826–1907). They had travelled from their home in Cornwall, UK to pursue the gold rush in California and later on the Fraser River. Settling on the area of the Fraser River Delta either side of the Chilukthan Slough in 1868, both turned to farming and fishing. Location and features Ladner is bound to the west by the Strait of Georgia, the south by Tsawwassen, to the east by North Delta, and north by the Fraser River. Ladner is bisected by Highway 17A, which runs north–south from Highway 99 to the BC Ferries terminal. The term East Ladner is often applied to the portion of the community east of Highway 17A. The major east–west artery is called Ladner Trunk Road - which, if traveled far enough east, turns into Highway 10. West of Arthur Drive, a north–south road that connects it with Tsawwassen, it is simply called 47A Avenue. River Road runs east from the north end of Highway 17A along the Fraser River into North Delta and Surrey. The area between Highway 17A and North Delta is referred to as Tilbury and is one of the major industrial centres of the Lower Mainland, with many large warehouses, industrial parks and factories. Lying to the south of the delta of the Fraser River, there are numerous islands just off the mainland that are part of Ladner. Most are small and only reachable by boat, with exceptions like Westham Island, which hosts a large bird sanctuary and is dedicated to protecting and preserving the numerous bird species found in the area,