Expected adverse weather conditions caused BC Ferries to cancel several sailings between the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island and the Southern Gulf Islands on Wednesday afternoon.
All Wednesday sailings from 3 p.m. onward between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay are cancelled. The 7:15 p.m. sailing from Tsawwassen to the Southern Gulf Islands is cancelled as are the remaining sailings between Tsawwassen and Duke Point beginning at 3:15 p.m.
Sailings between Swartz Bay and Salt Spring Island are still scheduled but the rest of the sailings from Swartz Bay to the Southern Gulf Islands are cancelled.
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Ferries between Departure Bay and Horseshoe Bay are cancelled starting with the 3:20 p.m sailing departing Nanaimo. Sailings from Horseshoe Bay to Langdale are cancelled beginning with the 4:20 p.m. departure to Langdale however, sailings from Langdale to Horseshoe Bay were still scheduled as of 12:20 p.m.
All sailings to Bowen Island have been cancelled.
“The safety of our passengers and crew is of primary importance to us,” BC Ferries said in a statement. “We don’t take the decision to cancel sailings lightly, as we know customers rely on us to get to their destinations. We will resume service as soon as it is safe to do so.”
Customers with reservations on cancelled sailings are to be notified by e-mail, according to BC Ferries. Customer reservations will be cancelled and their fees will be fully refunded.
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Environment Canada issued a wind warning for Greater Victoria on Wednesday morning. The national weather service said a deep, low pressure system is expected to cross Vancouver Island Wednesday night. Southeast winds of 70 to 90 km/h are expected to develop ahead of the low in Greater Victoria and spread to the Southern Gulf Islands, East Vancouver Island from Duncan to Nanaimo, southern and western sections of Metro Vancouver and the Sunshine Coast in the evening.
Winds are expected to abruptly shift to the southwest overnight or Thursday morning in the wake of low, gusty winds, according to Environment Canada. Winds are expected to ease Thursday morning.
