Vehicle fire leads to delays on Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay B.C. Ferries route

A vehicle fire at the Tsawwassen ferry terminal caused sailing delays on the Swartz Bay-Tsawwassen B.C. Ferries route on an already busy long weekend.

B.C. Ferries said the 5 p.m. sailing from Tsawwassen (Vancouver) to Swartz Bay (Victoria) departed 35 minutes behind schedule.

The 7 p.m. sailing from Swartz Bay and the 9 p.m. sailing from Tsawwassen were also behind schedule.

Major routes between Vancouver Island and the mainland expected to be at or near capacity at peak times this weekend , said B.C. Ferries spokesperson Lilian Kim.

Sailings from Tsawwassen to Duke Point all listed as full from 11:30 a.m. onward on Friday morning, while those travelling on the Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay route without a reservation faced a six-sailing wait Friday morning.

Sailings from Vancouver Island to the mainland were showing a small amount of space on the site.

Those without reservations who have to travel are encouraged to consider going as walk-on passengers, and not bringing a vehicle, Kim said.

On Saturday, Sunday and Monday, the busiest sailing times are expected to be morning and early afternoon, B.C. Ferries said.

Kim said the weekend is expected to be as busy as last year’s, when major routes carried about 130,000 vehicles and more than 400,000 passengers.