Widespread power outages, cruise cancellation as windstorm hits Vancouver Island
Tens of thousands of BC Hydro customers across Vancouver Island were without power Wednesday as Environment Canada forecasted wind gusts over 100 km/h.
Wind warnings were active for East Vancouver Island and Greater Victoria, while a less severe special weather statement was issued for Inland Vancouver Island.
Environment Canada says very strong southeasterly winds will shift to southwesterly winds by the afternoon and carry into the evening.
With strong winds battering the east coast, the City of Nanaimo closed all its municipal parks just after noon due to concerns about falling debris and trees.
"Please stay away from all treed areas while high winds persist," said the city in a social media post.
The city's fears are not unfounded. On Wednesday afternoon, two large trees were filmed falling onto a home in Nanaimo.
The Nanaimo Aquatic Centre was also closed due to a power outage Wednesday afternoon.
Winds toppled a tree on the Patricia Bay Highway near Elk Lake in Saanich before 10 a.m. The B.C. Ministry of Transportation warned of traffic delays in the area as crews cleared the debris.
A cruise ship that was due to arrive at Victoria's Ogden Point Wednesday evening was cancelled due to the dangers of high winds.
The Norwegian Sun is pictured docked at Victoria’s Ogden Point on May 9, 2022. (CTV News)
Brian Cant with the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority said the decision to cancel the arrival was made by the operators of the Norwegian Sun.
"It needs to be safe for a vessel to tie up at a pier," Cant said in an email to CTV News.
Harbour Air Seaplanes, which operates out of the Victoria Inner Harbour, also warned of delays and possible cancellations due to stormy conditions.
Early Wednesday morning, Environment Canada warned that "an unseasonably strong low-pressure system will make landfall on Vancouver Island early this morning bringing strong southeasterly winds and precipitation to the region."
OVERNIGHT OUTAGES
Roughly 50,000 BC Hydro customers were without power on Vancouver Island and the nearby Gulf Islands Wednesday afternoon.
BC Hydro reported more than 25,000 customers in the Victoria and Gulf Islands region were without power as of 4:30 p.m., while nearly 24,000 more were without electricity on the North Island.
The energy provider says some customers should expect to be without power overnight.
"Crews have made good progress through the day, but due to fallen trees, road access has made it challenging for our crews," said BC Hydro in an update Wednesday afternoon.
"All available crews will be working through the night to restore power to affected customers but we expect small pockets of customers on the Gulf Islands and Duncan to be without power overnight."
McTavish Road was closed at Williams Road in North Saanich after wind knocked down power lines on Wednesday morning. (CTV News)
Environment Canada says residents should be prepared for potential damage.
"High winds may toss loose objects or cause tree branches to break," warned the weather agency.
"Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions due to high winds. Avoid wooded areas to prevent injury from falling trees or branches," added Environment Canada. "Campers should move to sturdy shelters."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
'It's just so hard to let it go': Umar Zameer filled with relief and grief following acquittal in death of Toronto police officer
'We hoped for this day, but we were scared that it would not never ever come because it took so long.' That’s what Umar Zameer, the man recently acquitted in the death of a Toronto police officer, told CTV News Toronto in a sit-down interview on Tuesday.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.
Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko won't play in Game 2
The Vancouver Canucks will be without all-star goalie Thatcher Demko when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
North Bay doctor accused of assaulting patient, threatening another
A North Bay doctor is facing charges after allegedly assaulting a patient with a weapon and threatening another person at the hospital, police say.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.