A storm blew through Vancouver Island on Christmas Day, leading to ferry cancellations, power outages and road closures — along with altered holiday plans.
Evening B.C. Ferries sailings between the Island and the mainland were cancelled Monday due to strong winds, with the last departures from Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen at 5 p.m.
Cancellations between Nanaimo’s Departure Bay and Horseshoe Bay came a bit later, with the last sailing from Departure Bay at 5:55 p.m., and from Horseshoe Bay at 6:35 p.m.
Aynsley Sim, who had a discounted-fare reservation for the cancelled 10:10 p.m. sailing from Nanaimo to Vancouver, had to make another reservation for Tuesday at a higher price.
“It was really frustrating,” she said in a text.
Sim said she initially phoned B.C. Ferries to ask about her cancellation; she received an automated message saying that the phone wouldn’t be answered due to the high volume of calls.
“They did eventually call and leave a message and email that my booking was cancelled and I’d be refunded,” she said. “But when I went to rebook for [Tuesday], most of the sailings are sold out, and those that weren’t are double what I paid.”
But Sim said it wasn’t too bad to be stuck on Vancouver Island on Christmas with friends and family — and she made plans to ensure her cats at home in Vancouver would be taken care of.
Meanwhile, people hoping to travel between the west and east coasts of the Island ran into a roadblock Monday after Highway 4 was closed due to fallen rocks and trees on the roadway.
Qualicum Beach resident Craig Gooding was among those affected. Unable to get home, he and his wife ended up sleeping on a blow-up bed at his in-laws’ residence in Port Alberni on Christmas night.
“We were supposed to be back [Monday] night at 9:30 p.m.,” he said, adding that friends had to take care of their two dogs that were left at home.
Gooding and his wife began lining up at 11 a.m. Tuesday in anticipation of the highway’s reopening. He estimated that the lineup stretched over five kilometres long on either side.
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said in a statement Tuesday that the closure was prompted by a large rockfall that brought several trees down onto Highway 4 adjacent to the area affected by the summer wildfires.
A geotechnical assessment was done at first light on Tuesday and maintenance contract crews were cleared to begin road maintenance.
On the north Island, Tahsis was cut off after a washout affected the only road into the village.
Mayor Martin Davis said Tuesday he had been fielding calls all day from people hoping to get an update on Head Bay Road, which was washed out by heavy rains.
Davis was in Victoria visiting family over the Christmas long weekend and was ready to make the drive back to Tahsis with his four-wheel drive. “I was just talking to some people locally — they said you can still get through and I’ve got a four-wheel drive,” he said early Tuesday afternoon. Later in the day, he said contractors were able to reopen the road about 4:30 p.m.
The washout was caused by a problem with the gravel road’s seal coat, he said. “It was undercut on the side and I guess the seal coat was collapsing into the ditch.”
About 28,000 B.C. Hydro customers on Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, the Sunshine Coast and the Lower Mainland were without power during the peak of the storm, and those in Zeballos were expected to be in the dark for another night.
B.C. Hydro said crews performing a helicopter patrol near Zeballos found “significant damage” from fallen trees. “Due to the extensive damage in a difficult-to-access area, customers in the area will remain without power overnight,” the utility said in a statement posted around noon Tuesday.
Crews were expected to be on site first thing this morning, with the power coming back on by 3 p.m. However, Environment Canada was warning that another strong weather system could bring more power outages overnight. Wind warnings remained in effect for northern Vancouver Island, where winds of up to 60 km/h with gusts to 120 km/h were expected Tuesday night through this morning.
The forecaster was also warning of elevated sea levels and large waves along the Island’s west coast and in Greater Victoria during the high tide from late morning to early afternoon.
Waves of five to seven metres are expected on the west Island on shorelines exposed to open ocean.
“Waves and pounding surf will produce higher than normal water levels along the coast, especially near high tide,” Environment Canada said. “These waves can cause damage to coastal infrastructure, especially at locations that have been prone to impacts during similar events in the past.”
In Greater Victoria, it said, large waves, storm surge and high tides could produce high water levels and coastal flooding, especially in low-lying areas.
B.C.’s River Forecast Centre was also warning of potential flooding on Tuesday, with flood watches in place for the west and north Island, and high-streamflow advisories elsewhere.
Under a flood watch, river levels are rising and will approach or may exceed the banks, and flooding of areas adjacent to affected rivers may occur.
