Canada Day long weekend travel kicks up across southern B.C.
Posted June 28, 2024 7:10 am.
Last Updated June 28, 2024 8:32 pm.
As the long weekend quickly approaches, people across southern B.C. are packing up and heading out of town.
BC Ferries is seeing multiple sailing waits on Friday morning for those leaving from the Tsawwassen ferry terminal headed to Swartz Bay or Duke Point.
One traveller, Jodi, tells CityNews that she wasn’t expecting the rain, but it’s not putting a dampener on her spirits.
“We need the rain sometimes, and we’re going to have a good day going forward,” she said.
In Horseshoe Bay, there’s also a multiple sailing wait for those headed to Nanaimo’s Departure Bay.
BC Ferries says that from June 27 to July 2, it’s expecting to see 530,000 passengers and 195,000 vehicles hop aboard its vessels.
“Friday sailings from Tsawwassen and Horseshoe Bay terminals to Vancouver Island are full, and so are sailings from Vancouver Island back to the mainland on the Canada Day Monday,” the ferry service said in a statement to CityNews.
“There’s still space to sail between Vancouver Island and the mainland on Saturday, Sunday, and the Tuesday, but reservations are filling up quick, with limited spots left to reserve on sailings in the early morning and later in the evening.”
CityNews meteorologist Michael Kuss says the weather around the province will be about normal for the weekend.
“It really doesn’t matter where you go around the province, it’s going to be around seasonal, not really hot as we get into that Canada Day weekend, but not that cold either,” he explained.
Kuss says that those who are braving the ferry lines and headed to southern Vancouver Island have chosen the best spot to be, weather-wise.
“One of the best spots will be the lower Island around Victoria, at least there’s sun in there for this afternoon. Grayer day on Saturday, a chance for showers, highs in the upper teens,” he added.
Around the capital region will hit highs of in the low 20s under a mix of sun and cloud for Sunday and Monday, he said.
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