Delta, British Columbia


Delta is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada, and part of Greater Vancouver. Located on the Fraser Lowland south of Fraser River's south arm, it is bordered by the city of Richmond on Lulu Island to the north, New Westminster to the northeast, Surrey to the east, the Boundary Bay and the American pene-exclave Point Roberts to the south, and the Strait of Georgia to the west.
Encompassing the nearby Annacis Island, Deas Island and Westham Island, Delta is mostly rural and officially composed of three distinct communities: North Delta, Ladner and Tsawwassen.

History

Prior to European settlement, Delta's flatlands and coastal shores were inhabited by the Tsawwassen First Nation of the Coast Salish. 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 de Cepeda". The first European settler in Delta was James Kennedy who pre-empted 135 acres in what later became Annieville in February 1860. Thomas and William Ladner, began farming the area named after them in 1868. Farming and fishing helped the community grow quickly over the next few decades. In 1879, the area was incorporated as a municipality, named "the Corporation of 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.
On 22 September 2017, at the request of Delta's council, the Government of British Columbia changed the name and classification of the Corporation of Delta to the City of Delta.

Neighbourhoods

Delta comprises three distinct, geographically separate communities:
  • North Delta is home to over half of Delta's population. It is a largely suburban area in north-east Delta bordered by the Burns Bog and Surrey.
  • Ladner is a 19th-century fishing village in northwest Delta that has expanded into a suburb. Fishing and farming are important industries. Ladner Trunk Road is its main street.
  • Tsawwassen is a suburban community in the southwest Delta that calls itself the sunniest place in Metro Vancouver. Luxury waterfront homes line Tsawwassen's coast. Tsawwassen is also home to the busy Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal which links the mainland to Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. Tsawwassen, together with Ladner are also known as South Delta.

    Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Delta had a population of 108,455 living in 38,058 of its 39,736 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 102,238. With a land area of, it had a population density of in 2021.
In 2011, the median age was 42.8 years old, which is slightly higher than the national median age of 40.6 years old. There were 35,781 private dwellings with an occupancy rate of 97.1%. According to the 2011 National Household Survey, the median value of a dwelling in Delta is $562,181 which is significantly higher than the national average of $280,552. The median household income in Delta is $71,590, quite higher than the national average at $54,089.

Ethnicity

As of 2021, Delta's population is 108,455. About 45% of Delta's population are visible minorities, of which there are approximately 28,000 South Asians, 9,700 Chinese people, and 3,700 Filipinos. There are also about 3,180 Indigenous peoples or 3% of the total population, some from Tsawwassen First Nation, who still hold a fraction of their former traditional territories; the Tsawwassen Lands at the mouth of the Fraser River, which is shared with the Hwlitsum First Nation from the Gulf Islands. Forming over one-quarter of the population, Delta has the fourth largest municipal South Asian population in British Columbia after neighbouring Vancouver, Surrey and Abbotsford.

Religion

According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Delta included:
Delta is located south of Vancouver and north of the Canada–US 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, Delta is the largest municipality in the GVRD; the second largest is its neighbour to the east, Surrey, at.
File:Trachycarpus fortunei 56 st tsawwassen bc.jpg|thumb|Trachycarpus fortunei windmill palms line some streets in Tsawwassen
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, of natural wetlands that are important for wildlife.
Delta includes Annacis Island, an industrial island reached via the Alex Fraser Bridge, which connects Delta with Richmond and New Westminster. Delta also includes a peninsula on the east side of the Fraser River at Delta's northern city limits, which is only accessible via Surrey.

Climate

Delta is known for its relatively dry and sunny climate compared with other locations in Metro Vancouver. For example, it receives nearly 40% less precipitation than downtown Vancouver and just over half of that of North Vancouver. It has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate with cooler summers and milder winters than other areas on the Canada–U.S. border, and features some of the mildest winters and lowest diurnal temperature variation in Canada.

Government and politics

Delta is governed by the Delta City Council, led by a Mayor and six Councillors, elected for four-year terms, and there is also an elected school board. The current mayor is George Harvie. Unlike most communities in Canada, but like Vancouver and Richmond, Delta has a system of locally based election slates such as TriDelta, IDEA, One Delta, Delta Residents Association, Delta Connect, DIVA, Independents Working For You, and Achieving For Delta.
In the House of Commons of Canada, Delta is part of the Delta electoral district. As of the 2025 Federal general election, Delta's seat is held by Jill McKnight of the Liberal Party. In the 2024 provincial general election, the North Delta seat went to Ravi Kahlon of the British Columbia New Democratic Party while the South Delta seat went to Ian Paton of BC Conservative Party.
Delta, unlike most Lower Mainland municipalities, has its own police department.
Former Delta mayor Lois Jackson served from 1999 to 2018 and since 1973 has had a seat on the Delta Council. Jackson was elected to council again in 2018.

Power

In Delta is BC Hydro's Arnott Substation, the mainland terminal of the southern AC transmission connections providing power to Vancouver Island, and the former converter station for the HVDC Vancouver Island circuits.

Transportation

Health

Delta is the westernmost community served by Fraser Health Authority which operates Delta Hospital in Ladner and also funds home and community care. The Delta Hospice Society operates a facility near to the hospital.

Education

operates Anglophone public schools in the city.
The Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique operates one Francophone primary school in that city: école du Bois-joli.

Sports and recreation

Delta has many minor sports teams in ice hockey, soccer, football, field hockey, baseball, softball, field lacrosse and box lacrosse. Over 160 young people play ringette in Delta. The Delta Ringette Association has 13 teams in 2005. Notable professional sports players from Delta are Jeff Francis, James Paxton, Justin Morneau, Brent Seabrook, Troy Brouwer and Mitch Berger.
Delta formerly hosted their annual Tour de Delta. This was at its peak the largest cycling event in Canada until its end in 2019.
The Delta Triathlon is also a very popular event, selling out each year in April. The event takes place in Ladner from the Ladner Leisure Centre. Over 500 participants take part, including many from the local South Delta Triathlon Club.
ClubSportLeagueVenue
Delta Ice HawksIce hockeyPIJHLLadner Leisure Centre
Delta IslandersBox LacrosseBCJALLLadner Leisure Centre
Ladner PioneersBox LacrosseWCSLALadner Leisure Centre

Notable people

The town is used as the principal filming location for the TV series Resident Alien. The Heritage Hangar at the Boundary Bay Airport in Delta has been used as a film location in many TV series and movies.

Sister city