Several ferry sailings between Vancouver Island and the mainland were cancelled on Monday due to strong winds, with the last departures from Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen at 5 p.m.
Sailings between Departure Bay and Horseshoe Bay were also cancelled because of strong winds; the last sailing from Departure Bay was to be at 5:55 p.m., and from Horseshoe Bay at 6:35 p.m.
Quadra Island and Denman Island service was cancelled after 5 p.m. because of the weather.
A B.C. Ferries spokesperson said on social media that while the company would continue to monitor the weather, conditions were expected to deteriorate further.
Cancellations for other routes are listed on the B.C. Ferries website.
Aynsley Sim, who had a discounted-fare reservation for the cancelled 10:10 p.m. B.C. Ferries sailing from Nanaimo to Vancouver, had to make another reservation for Tuesday ar a higher price.
“It was really frustrating,” she said in a text.
Sim said she initially phoned B.C. Ferries inquiring about her cancellation; she received an automated message saying that the phone wouldn’t be answered due to the high volume of calls.
“They did eventually call and leave a message and email that my booking was cancelled and I’d be refunded,” she said. “But when I went to rebook for [Tuesday], most of the sailings are sold out, and those that weren’t are double what I paid.”
But Sim said it wasn’t too bad to be stuck on Vancouver Island on Christmas with friends and family — and she’s made plans to ensure that her cats at home in Vancouver will be taken care of.
Power out to thousands, some overnight
B.C. Hydro reported power outages affecting 8,727 customers on northern Vancouver Island as of early Tuesday, including in Courtenay, Comox, Campbell River, and Port Hardy. The cause in many instances was trees falling onto power lines.
An outage affecting 2,425 customers was reported in Saanich south of McKenzie Avenue, roughly along both sides of Quadra Street to North Dairy Road. It was restored about 10:30 p.m. Monday, according to B.C. Hydro's website.
Power was expected to be out overnight for about 200 B.C. Hydro customers in Zeballos. "Due to access challenges, and the need for daylight to make repairs safely, our crew will need to perform a helicopter patrol of the area. Once they arrive on site we'll be able to determine the damages and provide an estimated restoration time," B.C. Hydro said.
Power was expected to be out overnight for parts of Hornby Island and Quadra Island.
On Mayne and Saturna islands, 2,216 lost power about 10:15 p.m. B.C. Hydro was reporting that the power was still off as of 1:15 a.m.
Wind and rainfall warnings issued
Wind warnings remained in place for Greater Victoria, northern Vancouver Island, and eastern Vancouver Island north of Courtenay along with the Southern Gulf Islands as of 1 a.m. Tuesday.
Rainfall warnings have been issued for the west, north, east and inland areas of the Island. Up to 120 millimetres of rain is expected in some areas; the east Island is forecast to receive between 50 and 70 mm.
Environment Canada was warning of localized flooding in low-lying areas, and possible washouts near rivers, creeks, and culverts in the west and north Island. High-streamflow advisories are in place for all of Vancouver Island, according to B.C.’s River Forecast Centre.
Wind warnings are also in effect for parts of the Island. Greater Victoria and the Southern Gulf Islands can expect southeasterly winds of 70 km/h near the water; 80 km/h southeasterly winds are in the forecast for east Vancouver Island from Campbell River to Nanoose Bay.
Wind warnings are in effect for northern Vancouver Island, where winds of up to 90 km/h with gusts to 110 km/h are expected, east Vancouver Island north of Courtenay, and west Vancouver Island.
Salt Spring Island’s harbour authority announced Friday that it would open its Breakwater and Kanaka docks for safe harbour in anticipation of the storm.
“We require any vessel coming in to be able to do so under its own power, and request that any wood stove not be in use whilst in the harbour for obvious safety reasons,” the authority said on its website, adding that there would be no fee attached to the shelter. “We wish you a merry Christmas.”
Prince Rupert ferry service cancelled until Dec. 28
The forecast “hurricane-force winds” coupled with engine issues on a vessel have prompted B.C. Ferries to cancel sailings to and from Prince Rupert until Dec. 28.
Repairs to the main engine of the Northern Expedition have begun, and the engine turbo charge needed for the fix is making its way from Vancouver to Prince Rupert via truck.
Vessel crew for the next sailing will be flown into Prince Rupert by charter flight, B.C. Ferries said.
The ferry corporation apologized to customers whose Christmas plans may be dashed by the cancellation, offering not only refunds but also potential reimbursements to people who booked flights.
Customer service and terminal staff are notifying people with bookings on the cancelled sailings.
B.C. Ferries spokesperson Deborah Marshall told the Times Colonist the corporation wasn't expecting sailing interruptions on any of its southern routes on Christmas Day. “The only place we are getting affected is up north.”
— With files from The Canadian Press
mjlo@timescolonist.com
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2023-12-26 13:15:00Z
CBMifWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRpbWVzY29sb25pc3QuY29tL2xvY2FsLW5ld3MvdmVyeS1zdHJvbmctc3Rvcm1zLXNldC10by1oaXQtbm9ydGgtaXNsYW5kLW92ZXItY2hyaXN0bWFzLWVudmlyb25tZW50LWNhbmFkYS04MDI1MDUy0gEA
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