BC Ferries resumes service after bomb cyclone forces cancellations

TSAWWASSEN, B.C. -

Most service resumed on BC Ferries late Wednesday morning following a bomb cyclone that caused mass cancellations.

Wind gusts up to 120 km/h slammed into coastal British Columbia Tuesday evening, creating dangerous conditions on the water.

“The balance we're trying to find is, how do we keep our customers moving, but really prioritize that safety piece. Where the wave height or the wind speed is too much, it just doesn't make sense to sail,” said Jeff Groot, executive director of communications for BC Ferries.

BC Ferries cancelled dozens of sailings Tuesday night and Wednesday morning due to safety concerns.

All of the major routes between the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island and many of the less popular roots were impacted.

Sailings began departing shortly after 10 a.m. Wednesday morning.

“It doesn’t look less windy now than it did at seven,” said Mary from Vancouver, who had to wait several hours at the terminal.

Groot says the conditions on land may not reflect what captains are seeing on the water.

“When they get out onto the ocean, those wind speeds pick up, and anything over a two-metre wave height makes it really challenging for us to sail,” said Groot.

David Donaldson tried to catch a ferry to purchase a vehicle Tuesday night.

“I’d come out here yesterday at five o’clock to find out the ferry is cancelled. Then I had to Uber back home again, then back out here because I checked this morning (at) five o’clock, weren't cancelled, so I Ubered out here again, and to find out it's cancelled,” said Donaldson.

He says each Uber trip cost him nearly $70.

“Times that by three I could have flew over to Victoria for cheaper,” said Donaldson.

He said he was frustrated.

“We're paying for our ferry system. You gotta run if it's a little bit rough. If you're taking a boat, you’ve got to know that it's not always like smooth sailing on a glass lake. In the waters, there's waves,” he told CTV News.

Royal Roads University student Tang Doan also had to wait several sailings to get back to Victoria.

“I have a midterm today at 1 p.m., so I don't think I'm gonna make it,” he told CTV News.

BC Ferries says safety for customers and crews is paramount.

It’s reminding travellers of the importance of checking the current conditions on its website before heading to the terminal to avoid disappointment.

Tuesday's storm also caused 272,000 BC Hydro customers to lose power and downed trees closed many roads and Stanley Park.