Despite heavy rain across the Island that knocked out power in some areas, prompted flood warnings and closed everything from roads to golf courses, Elections B.C. reported minimal disruptions to polling stations on election day.
Weather-related power outages delayed the opening of polling stations on Mayne Island (Saanich North and the Islands) and Denman and Hornby islands (Mid Island-Pacific Rim) by about an hour, said Andrew Watson, senior director of communications at Elections B.C.
A power outage temporarily closed a station in Shirley (Juan de Fuca-Malahat) about 3 p.m., leading to a brief wait for a small number of voters, he said.
An outage in Maple Ridge led to voters being directed to alternative locations, and residents near Dease Lake were told to use assisted-telephone voting, because rain prevented election officials from reaching a polling station, Watson said.
Assisted-telephone voting is normally reserved for people with sight loss or a health condition that prevents them from voting by other means, but can be used in emergency situations.
Voter turnout was steady throughout the day despite the rain, said Watson, adding he hadn’t heard reports of long lines.
New electronic tabulators being used to count paper ballots worked well, with only some minor expected issues, such as paper jams that were quickly resolved, he said.
Much of the Island remained under a rainfall warning Saturday, with periods of rain expected to continue through to late this afternoon, said Chris Gibbons, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Victoria had seen about 40 to 50 millimetres of rain by about 5 p.m. Saturday, in the first atmospheric river of the season.
A 35-kilometre stretch of Highway 14 between Port Renfrew and Jordan River was closed Saturday morning and remained closed throughout the day due to a washout, according to DriveBC.
Pacific Marine Road near Port Renfrew also remained closed in both directions due to flooding between Deering and Southshore roads, with no detour available.
DriveBC warned of water pooling Saturday along much of Highway 1 from south of Chemainus to north of the Comox Valley.
The River Forecast Centre issued a flood warning for western Vancouver Island and flood watches for the rest of the Island and along the central and south coasts, Lower Fraser tributaries and waterways in Metro Vancouver.
The District of Sooke closed Sooke Potholes Gateway to vehicle access until further notice due to rising water levels in the Sooke River.
Port Renfrew residents were asked to reduce water use, as the area braced for a potential water shortage. The water treatment plant was unable to treat water due to heavy rain and flooding in the area, the Capital Regional District said.
In the Lower Mainland, photos and videos posted to social media showed brown floodwater rushing over streets, including in West Vancouver, the North Vancouver community of Deep Cove, Surrey, Burnaby, and Port Coquitlam.
Mike Little, mayor of the District of North Vancouver, said about two dozen homes in high-risk areas had been evacuated.
In neighbouring West Vancouver, police posted a video on social media showing a surge of brown floodwater flowing down a sloping city street.
In Langley, RCMP issued a warning about a possible sinkhole, saying heavy rain had compromised a roadway’s stability.
Mounties issued an advisory about a mudslide with debris and fast-moving water that had forced the closing of a road on the outskirts of Coquitlam.
— with files from The Canadian Press
