Adverse weather conditions caused BC Ferries to cancel sailings between the Lower Mainland and Greater Victoria Saturday.
The 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. sailings between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay were cancelled but the 9 a.m. sailings from both terminals were not and were about 80 per cent full as of 8:50 a.m.
#ServiceNotice on the route between #Tsawwassen and #SwartzBay 11:00am and 1:00pm sailings in both directions have been cancelled due to weather. See full details here: https://t.co/C6ATpTWxXB and https://t.co/YC9MXs7GQp ^lm
— BC Ferries (@BCFerries) January 11, 2020
All customers with reservations that have been cancelled will have their reservation fees fully refunded. Once sailings resume, customers will be loaded on a standby basis in their order of arrival at the terminal and after customers with reservations for the scheduled sailing.
READ ALSO: Weekend’s weather conditions of strong wind, possible snow bring preemptive warnings
Environment Canada issued a wind warning for Greater Victoria calling for “strong westerly winds” near the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
The weather service said areas of Greater Victoria can expect winds of 70 km/h gusting to 90 km/h late Saturday morning and through to late afternoon.
High winds may toss loose objects or cause tree branches to break, Environment Canada warned.
BC Ferries issued a travel advisory for Vancouver, Victoria and the Southern Gulf Islands ahead of the weekend, stating there is a high probability that the windstorm predicted to hit the coast on Saturday will affect ferry services and could affect services on Sunday as well.
READ ALSO: B.C. Ferries warns that storm could cause sailing cancellations
People are also being advised to avoid water activities this weekend as king tides are expected to occur near Sooke at noon on Saturday and Sunday.
During king tides, large wave conditions will create strong currents and shoreline flooding. Parks Canada said beaches can go from being completely dry to several feet underwater in only seconds.
