BC Ferries cancels some Vancouver Island sailings amid high winds

Severe weather is causing BC Ferries to cancel Friday morning sailings leaving from Tsawwassen Terminal south of Vancouver.

Citing rain and high winds in the Strait of Georgia, Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued special weather statements.

BC Ferries has cancelled ships leaving the Delta area for Victoria and Nanaimo to ensure the safety of its crew and passengers.

The following sailings between the mainland and Victoria have been cancelled Friday:

• 8:00 a.m. departing Swartz Bay
• 10:00 a.m. departing Tsawwassen
• 9:00 a.m. departing Swartz Bay
• 9:00 a.m. departing Tsawwassen
• 11:00 a.m. departing Swartz Bay
• 11:00 a.m. departing Tsawwassen

And between the mainland and Nanaimo, cancelled sailings include:

• 10:15 a.m. departing Tsawwassen
• 10:15 a.m. departing Duke Point
• 12:45 p.m. departing Tsawwassen
• 12:45 p.m. departing Duke Point

Sheila Reynolds, a senior communications advisor for BC Ferries, says it’s a “wait and see situation.”

“So far, it’s just been this morning and into early afternoon that things are being impacted, but it’s evolving,” said Reynolds.

She says any customers with reservations are advised directly and receive a refund or are helped to find an alternate sailing if they want.

1130 NewsRadio Meteorologist Michael Kuss expects conditions to get worse Friday morning before they begin to improve before noon.

Reynolds says the company is always watching for weather conditions that could make sailings dangerous or uncomfortable.

“It can be a number of criteria that have to be looked at, but our teams are just continuously monitoring the waves, wind, and sea conditions in real time. And so decisions are made really dynamically.”

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