The power is back on for thousands of BC Hydro customers on Vancouver Island and nearby Gulf Islands, though more than 2,000 people in the region are still in the dark Wednesday afternoon.
At its peak Wednesday, roughly 14,000 people lost electricity on Vancouver Island and surrounding Island communities, largely due to fallen trees and snowfall in the area.
Some of the largest outages included more than 2,000 people losing power from Sooke to Port Renfrew due to fallen trees and the “snowstorm.”
By 3 p.m., some 672 BC Hydro customers were still without in East Sooke power due to the snow.
Meanwhile, more than 325 BC Hydro customers lacked power on Mayne Island due a tree falling down across a wire.
BC Hydro estimates power will be restored to most Island outages by Wednesday afternoon.
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#BCStorm update: This heavy snow has caused some power outages in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island. All available crews are working hard to restore power.
📞Report outages: 1 800 224 9376
📞Report fallen power lines: 9-1-1
📱Outage updates: https://t.co/cw3nx4HjLZ pic.twitter.com/0tBRVgNmU1— BC Hydro (@bchydro) January 17, 2024
The snow has been turning Island life on its head Wednesday, with most Vancouver Island school districts declaring a snow day.
BC Transit also warned of cancellations and delays, with delays striking the Victoria Transit Region and full suspension of service affecting the Cowichan Valley and Regional District of Nanaimo Transit System.
Flights at Victoria International Airport were also cancelled or delay, while Harbour Air and HeliJet both grounded their fleets due to the weather.
A snowfall warning is in effect for Greater Victoria, Inland Vancouver Island and East Vancouver Island, where 10 to 20 centimetres of snow is expected to fall Wednesday.
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Adam Chan
