BC Ferries resumes sailings between Vancouver, Nanaimo after Friday evening cancellations
Posted October 18, 2024 4:21 pm.
Last Updated October 19, 2024 2:20 pm.
BC Ferries has resumed its sailings from Metro Vancouver’s Horseshoe Bay and Nanaimo’s Departure Bay.
Service on this route was cancelled Friday evening due to severe weather.
Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, and much of B.C.’s South Coast are seeing torrents of rain Friday as the first atmospheric river of the season bears down on the region.
B.C.’s River Forecast Centre has issued a flood watch for the south and central coasts, and Environment Canada announced Thursday afternoon that it has upgraded a previously issued special weather statement over the region to a rainfall warning.
BC Ferries says it cannot risk high winds, which is why it cancelled the sailings Friday.
Earlier Friday morning, there were a pair of cancellations affecting Haida Gwaii, but the service told 1130 NewsRadio it didn’t anticipate pulling any other vessels at the time.
“We’re in constant communication with our teams at terminals, on our vessels and we’re ready to adapt if anything changes,” said Ceilidh Marlow of BC Ferries Friday morning.
She says if you are taking a sailing this weekend, it may be a rocky ride and you may be asked to stay inside.
“Be mindful when you’re walking across the decks, those waves can come up quickly and knock people off their feet. Just listen to the safety instructions from crews.”
If you’re a customer who has a reservation and a sailing is cancelled due to weather, Marlow says you are entitled to a refund of the cost of your ticket. However, you aren’t entitled to compensation of expenses incurred as a result of the cancellation. This means the costs of hotels, meals, and alternate transport needed would not be compensated.
Editor’s note: a previous version of this story had said customers are not entitled to refunds if sailings are cancelled. This is incorrect, as customers are entitled to receive refunds of the costs of their tickets if their sailings are cancelled due to weather.
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