Steady traffic but reduced capacity on BC Ferries as May long weekend kicks off

Traffic was steady at the Tsawwassen ferry terminal Friday morning, as B.C. heads into the Victoria Day long weekend.

Health officials and the B.C. government have urged people to avoid all non-essential travel over the weekend, as the province works towards further containing COVID-19.

Some passengers Global News spoke with at the terminal acknowledged they were heading away for a holiday, but cited precautions such as plans to stay in their vehicle and to isolate at a cabin.

1:53 Reduced capacity on BC Ferries continues over May long weekend

Others said they were headed to the island for work.

Despite the steady traffic at the terminal, BC Ferries spokesperson Deborah Marshall said traffic is significantly down.

3:00 B.C. government warns against travel on long weekend

Marshall said the company would normally add extra sailings for the long weekend, but has actually removed two vessels from service.

The Horseshoe Bay-Nanaimo route remains cancelled entirely, while vessels that are operating are doing so at half-capacity under Transport Canada pandemic regulations.

“This year is different, we are not having all the extra sailings that we normally have because of COVID,” said Marshall.

“For example, on the Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay run, we would normally have four vessels in operation, and this year we have two.”

1:52 B.C. parks re-open to visitors with restrictions

Marshall noted that much of the traffic still flowing is commercial vehicles, which supply communities on Vancouver Island and up the coast.

Due to the reduced service, travellers are advised to book a reservation where still available, and to check the website for current conditions. Passengers without a reservation are being told to prepare to wait.

B.C. will roll out the next phase of its plan to reopen the economy on Tuesday, but officials are still urging people to stay close to home, to avoid putting smaller communities at risk and to hold the gains the province has made in containing the virus.

“That means if you can avoid going to places such as the Sunshine Coast to Powell River and to Sechelt, to Gibson’s and to Pender Harbour, as wonderful as all of those communities are, for example, that this is not the weekend to go,” said Health Minister Adrian Dix, Thursday.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is encouraging the public to go for local hikes, visit their farmer’s market or have a picnic.

She is also asking people to use the weekend to think over their plan for safe social interaction when the province initiates Phase 2 of its plan next week, and to talk to friends and family about who we plan to include in our expanded — but still small — social “bubbles.”