Service has resumed on ferries travelling between North Saanich and the Lower Mainland after sailings were cancelled Friday morning and afternoon.
As of 1 p.m., BC Ferries said service will resume with the 3 p.m. departures from Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen.
Heavy winds caused BC Ferries to cancel all 7 and 9 a.m. sailings between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay. The 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m. sailings between the two destinations as well as the 2 p.m. sailing from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay were also cancelled.
READ ALSO: A dozen sailings between Greater Victoria and Greater Vancouver cancelled during first week of 2020
“The safety of our passengers and crew is of primary importance to us,” BC Ferries said in a service notice Friday morning. “We don’t take the decision to cancel sailings lightly, as we know customers rely on us to get to their destinations.”
âš ï¸ There's a high probability that the windstorm predicted by @ECCCWeatherBC to hit the coast on Friday will impact service from morning through early afternoon. As a result, some sailings may be cancelled for safety reasons. View travel advisory: https://t.co/4DkE13LNrU ^js
— BC Ferries (@BCFerries) January 10, 2020
Customers with cancelled reservations had their reservation fees fully refunded.
Once sailings resume, BC Ferries said customers will be loaded on a standby basis in their order of arrival at the terminal, after customers with a reservation have checked in.
The 3 p.m. sailings from Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay are 1oo per cent full and as of 2:05 p.m. the Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay ferry at 5 p.m. was 76 per cent full.
#CurrentConditions as of 2:05 pm #Tsawwassen – #SwartzBay now ticketing for the 5pm sailing – 76% full. Reserved traffic moving normally. Keep updated here: https://t.co/FH08bdHXLH ^ta
— BC Ferries (@BCFerries) January 10, 2020
Environment Canada issued a wind warning for the region around 5 a.m., advising that a pacific frontal system moving across Vancouver Island would cause “strong winds that may cause damage.”
Southeast winds of 60 to 80 km/h were predicted to develop in the morning over Greater Victoria near Haro Strait, the Southern Gulf Islands, the north and central sections of east Vancouver Island, and the Sunshine Coast.
The winds were expected to ease up by noon.
Environment Canada warned that “loose objects may be tossed by the wind and cause injury or damage.” Drivers may need to adjust their driving with changing road conditions.
BC Ferries requests customers with reservations check-in at the terminals in accordance with scheduled sailing times to maintain reserved status.
READ ALSO: More B.C. Ferries sailings cancelled as windy weather persists
