Major BC Ferries routes busy ahead of Easter long weekend
Posted April 17, 2025 6:48 am.
Last Updated April 17, 2025 1:00 pm.
If you’re heading from Metro Vancouver to southern Vancouver Island before the Easter long weekend, here’s hoping you have a BC Ferries reservation.
The first sailing from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay available for those without a reservation is well into the morning, after the first three sailings of the day sold out.
According to the BC Ferries website, there’s not a lot of available space heading into the afternoon sailings either.
“Easter is always an extremely busy time for us. We see high volumes every year, especially on those peak travel days, which are Thursday and Friday, heading over to Vancouver Island from the Lower Mainland, and then, of course, Sunday and Monday returning from the island,” said Ceilidh Marlow, senior communications advisor at BC Ferries.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!Other routes to the Island are also busy, with the first couple of sailings from Metro Vancouver to Nanaimo, including both Duke Point and Departure Bay, full.
Marlow says travellers can expect long waits unless they book online in advance.
“We’re seeing a lot of sold-out reservations at the peak travel times. So I would say, if you’re planning to travel this weekend, certainly jump on there. Try to grab a reservation if you can. And consider travelling earlier in the morning or later in the evening if you’re able to adjust your timing.”
While Easter marks a typically busy long weekend, Marlow says it “doesn’t make the top five.”
Meanwhile, Vancouver International Airport looks to be operating as normal on Thursday morning after seeing major delays on Wednesday due to NAV CANADA “resource delays.”
Virtually all in- and out-bound flights are listed as running “on time” by the airport.
In a statement posted to social media Wednesday, NAV CANADA Operations said it was moving aircraft “safely, and as quickly as possible.”
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