High winds lead to power outages, BC Ferries cancellations reinstated for later

High winds led to the cancellation of a handful of BC Ferries routes between Vancouver and Victoria Friday.

Multiple afternoon ferries were canceled, but have since been reinstated. The sailings between Vancouver and Nanaimo are now operating on a revised schedule.

Meanwhile, trips between Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen are now running two hours later than the original sailing time.

The group says that despite the delay, passengers are asked to arrive during the check-in window marked on the booking confirmation.

Earlier in the day, the company canceled the 3 p.m., 4 p.m., and 5 p.m. sailings from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay, along with the 3 p.m., 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. sailings in the opposite direction.

#ServiceNotice As the weather has improved, sailings between #HorseshoeBay and #DepartureBay have been reinstated and will operate on a revised schedule for the remainder of today, Friday, February 3.

The revised schedule can be found here : https://t.co/rwveZUp0sN ^jr

— BC Ferries (@BCFerries) February 4, 2023

Meanwhile, there are over two-dozen power outages affecting over 16,000 BC Hydro customers between the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island as the region gets battered by high winds.

Environment and Climate Change Canada issued a wind warning for Metro Vancouver Friday, with winds set to reach up to 90 kilometres an hour.

The weather service says Richmond and Delta, along with the Sunshine Coast, East Vancouver Island, and the southern Gulf Islands will feel the brunt of the wind storm.

“A frontal system crossing the south coast will bring strong southeast winds 60 [kh/h] gusting to 90 km/h this afternoon followed by a burst of strong southwest winds 60 [kh/h] gusting to 90 km/h this evening,” Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) said in a statement.

Strong winds for the South Coast this afternoon. Ferry cancellations, possible power outages. Heaviest from 2-6 PM. Snow over Coquihalla. @CityNewsVAN #BCStorm #Windy pic.twitter.com/WaN5kevzNX

— Michael Kuss (@Kusswx) February 3, 2023

The weather group is warning of damage to buildings, including roofs and shingles, along with possible power outages and fallen tree branches.

“Motorists, especially in high profile vehicles, may expect hazardous driving conditions on highways subject to strong crosswinds,” ECCC said.

Delta Mayor George Harvie says emergency services are on standby to deal with any potential damage the wind might cause in the low-lying city.

“We’re ready to move in, and we have policies in place,” Harvie told CityNews, adding it’s usually downed trees that cause the most problems.

“I don’t anticipate any extreme problems. These winds are extreme, but not at the levels we had even a few months ago,” he added.

Travel delays and power outages possible

In preparation for the high winds, BC Ferries pre-emptively cancelled the 12 p.m. sailing from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay and the return 2 p.m. sailing from Swartz Bay before the later-afternoon sailings were also cancelled.

Meanwhile, BC Hydro Spokesperson Kyle Donaldson says the utility provider is monitoring the province’s weather conditions.

“Our team of in-house meteorologists are keeping a close eye on this incoming weather system, which is expected to bring some pretty blustery conditions to many areas of the South Coast and parts of Vancouver Island as well.

“Those gusts also have the potential to bring down trees and branches onto our equipment, which of course can cause outages. So, we have crews ready to respond in the event the lights do go out,” he explained.

Donaldson notes hydro has crews stationed around the South Coast to respond to outages but explains it is difficult to predict how much damage a storm will cause.

“We encourage everyone to be prepared. Customers should have an emergency kit with a flashlight some batteries a first aid kit, water, and even some food,” he said.

“If you come across a downed line, always assume it’s live. Even if it’s not sparking smoking or making a buzzing sound you should stay at least 10 metres back, which is about the length of a bus, and you should call 911 right away. A downed line is considered an emergency and our crews will work with emergency responders to make sure the area is safe.”

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