A ferry across Kootenay Lake, between Crawford Bay and Balfour was the year-round route for travellers on the Crowsmest Highway before the stretch between Creston and Castelgar was built over the Kootenay Pass (elevation 1,775 m or 5,823 ft). The ferry is still running today, as a necessary bypass when deep snowfalls or avalanches have closed the Kootenay Pass.