BC Ferries Cancelled Some Of Its Canada Day Trips & Travel Might Get More Hectic

You might want to rethink your Canada Day plans if they involved sailing away via BC Ferries this weekend! A few trips have been cancelled, and the ferry service said it's expecting more passengers than usual until Monday.

According to a BC Ferries travel advisory, an engineering problem relating to piston assembly was found on the Queen of Alberni ship, which travels between Vancouver's Horseshoe Bay and Nanaimo's Departure Bay. Because of the technical hiccup, the ferry service said the ship will be out of service to complete repairs.

So, if you were hoping to sail off for Canada Day today, note that the 10 a.m., 2:45 p.m. and 7:20 p.m. departures from Vancouver and the 7:40 a.m., 12:25 p.m. and 5 p.m. sailings from Nanaimo's Departure Bay are all cancelled. Thankfully, other routes are still up and running.

BC Ferries said that its engineering team "continues to work diligently to resolve the issue." So, you can likely expect full service back by Saturday, July 2 at 7:40 a.m., if all goes according to plan.

Super busy sails ahead

BC Ferries is recommending that you book your routes in advance, especially for early-morning and late-evening sails. That's because it'll be a busy weekend with Canada Day and Independence Day falling on the same weekend (which only happens every six years!).

"Customers without a booking will likely experience sailing waits," noted the ferry service in a travel advisory.

So, it could be a packed ride if you're travelling on the following routes: Vancouver (Tsawwassen) to Victoria, Vancouver (Tsawwassen) to Nanaimo (Duke Point), Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay) to Nanaimo (Departure Bay) and Vancouver (Horseshoe Bay) to Sunshine Coast.

With all of the expected crowds, BC Ferries is suggesting that you arrive at least 45 to 60 minutes before departure so you can ensure smooth sailing!