A BC ferry arrives at Swartz Bay. (File).
Heavy winds and rain are leading to the cancellation and major delays of several BC Ferries routes Tuesday morning.
“The safety of our passengers and crew is of primary importance to us. We don’t take the decision to cancel sailings lightly, as we know customers rely on us to get to their destinations,” said BC Ferries in a statement.
The Spirit of British Columbia servicing the Tsawassen to Swartz Bay route faced major delays early in the morning, and the 11:00 a.m. departure from Tsawwassen and 1:00 p.m. from Swartz Bay are cancelled because of high winds.
#ServiceNotice #Tsawwassen – #SwartzBay #SpiritofBritishColumbia cancelled sailings today 11:00am ex. Tsawwassen & 1:00pm ex. Swartz Bay due to adverse weather conditions: https://t.co/aCWEixwCV8 ^hy
— BC Ferries (@BCFerries) December 11, 2018
Sailings between Quadra Island and Cortes, Powell River to Texada Island, Comox and Powell River have all faced sailing delays and cancellations due to the weather.
The Coastal Celebration is still sailing the route between Victoria and Vancouver, with some weather-related delays.
Other ferries are operating behind schedule, or on modified sailing schedules due to the severe weather, some holding dock and only departing the terminal when it is safe to do so.
“We appreciate your patience and apologize for any inconvenience experienced as a result of this cancellation,” said BC Ferries in a statement.
A wind warning remains in effect for Greater Victoria, and Southern Gulf Island as a Pacific systems moves across the South Coast today. Winds of 60 to 80 km/hr are expected to ease by Wednesday morning.
“We’re watching the weather closely and working with meteorologists at Environment Canada. Forecasters are calling for the weather to improve later this afternoon. If the forecast holds true, when conditions get better, we expect we’ll be able to resume service,” said BC Ferries representative Astrid Braunschmidt.
For the most up to date delays and cancellations, head over to BC Ferries twitter.
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