BC Ferries cancels sailings as major vessel out of service between Victoria, Vancouver
The Coastal Celebration is hardly living up to its name.
The BC Ferries vessel is out of action for repairs to its propulsion system, meaning the Swartz Bay-Tsawwassen route is down one vessel, with eight cancelled sailings each day, until it's fixed.
The lost sailings mean very long lineups and multiple-sailing waits for those drivers without reservations.
By 10 a.m. Thursday, if a driver didn't have a reservation, the earliest ferry they could get on from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen was the 4 p.m. sailing.
By 11 a.m., the line of vehicles trying to get to the Lower Mainland snaked down Highway 17, well outside of the ferry terminal.
Seven-thousand travellers had made reservations on the Coastal Celebration over the coming week.
Those reservations are being moved to different times. Until those thousands of reservations get sorted, the BC Ferries online system won't allow new reservations.
The current chaos is just the latest for BC Ferries, which is currently enduring major staff shortages and routine cancellations due to mechanical issues. Those are issues that Premier David Eby says new BC Ferries CEO Nicolas Jimenez is tasked with fixing.
"This is a huge source of frustration for people who depend on the ferries for their livelihood, to see loved ones," Eby said. "It's a priority for our government to address these issues, that’s why we've made significant changes to the leadership."
The Coastal Celebration is expected to be back in action at the end of next week. Until then, BC Ferries has added two late-night sailings and warns travellers should brace for long waits.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Unruly passenger' forces WestJet flight to make emergency landing in B.C.
A WestJet flight heading to Calgary had to make an emergency landing in northern B.C. Monday due to an incident involving an 'unruly passenger,' Mounties say.
The double-level airplane seat is back. This time, there’s a first-class version
It’s the airplane seat design that launched a thousand memes and kickstarted a media storm. And now the double-level seat is back – only this time, with a twist.
Three people shot to death in tiny South Dakota town; former mayor charged
Three people were shot to death in a small South Dakota town, and a former law officer who once served as the town's mayor is charged in the killings.
Debunking the 'anti-sunscreen' movement: Doctors say TikTok trend is dangerous
Dermatologists are sounding the alarm about misinformation from the anti-sunscreen movement, saying not wearing sunscreen can cause cancer and other problems.
Poilievre Conservatives offer to help Trudeau Liberals pass foreign interference bill
Pierre Poilievre's Conservative Party is offering to help Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government pass a piece of legislation aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada.
Ont. university says professor fired over 'unethical' sexual relationships with students
An associate professor at McMaster University has been fired after its board of governors found that he engaged in 'unethical, inappropriate and in some instances exploitative' sexual relationships with students.
Richard Dreyfuss' comments about women, LGBTQ2S+ people and diversity lead venue to apologize
The actor Richard Dreyfuss showed up in a dress at a 'Jaws'-themed event in Massachusetts, where the blockbuster 1975 movie he starred in was shot, and then proceeded to make demeaning remarks about women, LGBTQ2S+ people and diversity.
'Irrefutable evidence': integrity commissioner finds Parole Board member sexually harassed 'several' employees
There is 'irrefutable evidence' a member of the Parole Board of Canada sexually harassed multiple employees, without adequate disciplinary action from management, according to a report by Canada's Public Sector Integrity Commissioner.
'Son of Sam' killer Berkowitz denied parole in 12th attempt
'Son of Sam' killer David Berkowitz, who set New York City on edge with late-night shootings in the 1970s, was denied parole after his twelfth board appearance.