BC Ferries cancels sailings as storm hits B.C. coast

BC Ferries cancelled morning sailings on several major routes Friday as a rapidly intensifying storm reached the B.C. coast, with more cancellations possible later in the day.

As of 7:30 a.m. Pacific time, sailings had been cancelled on eight routes, according to reports from CHEK News and other B.C. outlets. They included Tsawwassen to Duke Point, Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay, Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay and Tsawwassen to the Southern Gulf Islands.

On the Nanaimo routes, Nanaimo News Now reported the 6:15 a.m. and 8:40 a.m. sailings from Departure Bay were cancelled, along with the 5:15 a.m. sailing from Duke Point and the 7:45 a.m. sailing from Tsawwassen. The 10:55 a.m. and 1:20 p.m. sailings from Departure Bay were at risk of being cancelled.

BC Ferries had warned customers on Thursday that cancellations were possible Friday because of the storm. Reports said the cancellations were tied to high winds and wave heights forecast for the Strait of Georgia.

Environment Canada has issued weather warnings for North, West and Inland Vancouver Island, where 80 to 120 millimetres of rain was forecast, according to CBC News. The weather agency described the system as the first potent storm in a series of wet and windy systems expected to affect the B.C. coast into next week.

The ferries are the main link between Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island, so travellers booked on the cancelled sailings face delays or must rebook on later departures. BC Ferries has said customers should check its service notices for the latest status of each route before travelling to a terminal. Its customer service line is 1-888-223-3779.

Sources disagreed slightly on the timing and total number of cancellations as conditions changed through the morning. Canada News Media will update this story as BC Ferries and Environment Canada release new information.

This story was compiled from reporting by CHEK News, CTV News, the Victoria Times Colonist, Nanaimo News Now and CBC News.

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