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BC Ferries cancels multiple Friday sailings ahead of anticipated storm

Click to play video: 'BC Ferries cancels sailings amid storm'
BC Ferries cancels sailings amid storm
A storm warning is up for the south coast tonight. BC Hydro crews are responding to power outages. BC Ferry crews, on the other hand, didn't even attempt to navigate these conditions. As Troy Charles reports, evening sailings were cancelled, and some would be passengers found that out the hard way – Nov 11, 2023

BC Ferries cancelled multiple sailings on major routes Friday, ahead of a storm expected to hit the region in the evening.

Environment Canada has warned of a “vigorous frontal system”  due to cross the South Coast, bringing heavy wind and rain through the weekend.

Click to play video: 'Fall storm moves across B.C. South Coast and snowfall warning in Interior'
Fall storm moves across B.C. South Coast and snowfall warning in Interior

The national weather and climate agency has forecast winds of up to 90 km/h for parts of Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast, easing into Saturday morning.

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In response, BC Ferries has scrapped dozens of afternoon and evening sailings, including on some of its busiest routes.

Those cancellations include:

  • Tsawwassen (Vancouver) – Swartz Bay (Victoria)
    All sailings beginning with the 7:00 p.m. departure from Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen
  • Tsawwassen (Vancouver) – Duke Point (Nanaimo)
    All sailings beginning with the 8:15 p.m. departure from Duke Point
  • Horseshoe Bay (Vancouver) – Departure Bay (Nanaimo)
    All sailings beginning with the 8:05 p.m. departure from Horseshoe Bay
  • Tsawwassen (Vancouver) – Southern Gulf Islands
    All sailings beginning with the 7:30 p.m. departure from Tsawwassen
  • Swartz Bay (Victoria) – Southern Gulf Islands
    All sailings beginning with the 7:30 p.m. departure from Swartz Bay
  • Little River (Comox) – Westview (Powell River)
    All sailings beginning with the 3:25 p.m. departure from Comox
  • Westview (Powell River) – Blubber Bay (Texada Island)
    All sailings beginning with the 5:05 p.m. departing from Powell River
  • Campbell River – Quadra Island (Quathiaski Cove)
    All sailings beginning with the 3:00 p.m. departure from Campbell River and Quathiaski Cove
  • Quadra Island (Heriot Bay) – Cortes Island (Whaletown)
    All sailings beginning with the 3:05 p.m. departure from Heriot Bay

Several other sailings could potentially be at risk, the company said. Travellers should check the BC Ferries website for the most up to date conditions.

The company said it will contact anyone with an affected booking directly to let them know if they can be moved to an alternate sailing or whether their reservation will need to be cancelled with a full refund.

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