BC Ferries swamped with delays and heavy traffic as long weekend begins

Jun 30 2023, 4:59 pm

BC Ferries is groaning under the weight of high demand and even higher traffic volumes as the Canada Day long weekend commences.

In the morning on Friday, June 30, BC Ferries shared that it was experiencing heavy traffic at its Tsawwassen terminal. “Customers without a booking will face multiple sailing waits and may not be able to travel.”

By 8 am, passengers on the Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay route were being ticketed for 3 pm ferries, leading to a seven-hour wait.

The heavy traffic volumes even in the early morning hours led to delays. The Coastal Renaissance sailing set for 5:15 am departed 39 minutes behind schedule “due to the time taken to load and unload… given today’s heavy volume of traffic,”  said BC Ferries.

Cancellations ahead of the long weekend

On Thursday, several BC Ferries sailings from Vancouver to Victoria were cancelled ahead of the busy long weekend. Those without bookings were told to expect delays, especially on the main Vancouver (Tsawwassen) to Victoria (Swartz Bay) route.

BC Ferries spokesperson Deborah Marshall told Daily Hive that the Coastal Celebration’s annual refit was taking longer than the corporation had expected, leading to the cancellation of eight sailings per day.

“It was scheduled to be completed its refit on [June 15]. So it would have been back in service in time for the long weekend,” Marshall said. Due to the delay, BC Ferries has had to cancel a number of sailings with the Coastal Celebration.

BC Ferries said historically the busiest times to travel are Thursday and Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, as many leave the Tsawwassen and Horseshoe Bay terminals. Monday and Tuesday mornings are usually busy with people returning to the mainland.

“Be prepared for sailing waits if a booking has not been made in advance of travel – sailing waits are common during popular travel periods,” BC Ferries advises. “If bookings are sold out, the best option to avoid waiting at the terminal is to travel during less busy times. These are typically mid-week days and early morning or late evening sailings.”

If you’re hoping to sail on BC Ferries this weekend, try carpooling, going as a foot passenger, or bringing your bike with you.

With files from Nikitha Martins

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