Ferry goers able to shovel themselves out of a small mountain of snow to make their way to a terminal on Vancouver Island this morning may have been dismayed to have been met with delays.
BC Ferries is asking for patience from its customers during these extraordinary circumstances, as the snow presents several challenges to operations.
“Our crews, like all other motorists, have to navigate snow and ice covered roads to get to work,” said Executive Director of Public Affairs Deborah Marshall.
“While snow removal contractors do their best to keep up, sometimes our employees are delayed getting to the terminals, which can cause delays or sailing cancellations.”
RELATED: Heavy snowfall cancels ferry service between Vancouver Island, mainland
Marshall also explained staff have to clear the snow from BC Ferries holding compounds and apply de-icer.
“We also need to ensure the safe walking routes on our properties are clear for staff and foot passengers,”she said. “On our open deck ferries, snow must be removed so we can load vehicles.
“Sometimes we experience issues with equipment freezing and we need to ensure the equipment, like rescue boats for example, are working properly in order to sail.”
Marshall expressed her appreciation on behalf of BC Ferries to customers for their patience, and thanked staff for going above and beyond to get service up and running for the customers that rely on the ferry service to transport them to where they need to go, as well as transport essential goods to smaller communities during these inclement weather events.
READ MORE: Campbell River snow clearing operations challenged by recent extreme snowfall events
READ MORE: Winter conditions on highways around Campbell River
ronan.odoherty@campbellrivermirror.com
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