British Columbia’s South Coast was pounded on December 9 by a powerful atmospheric-river system that dumped up to 250 millimetres of rain on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. Environment Canada issued flood watches for multiple river basins, while the B.C. Ministry of Transportation closed a section of Highway 4—the only road link to the west-coast communities of Tofino and Ucluelet—after debris flows made the route impassable.
BC Ferries pre-emptively cancelled several sailings on the Tsawwassen–Swartz Bay and Horseshoe Bay–Nanaimo corridors, citing sustained winds above 70 km/h and low visibility. The cancellations stranded hundreds of travellers and cut off a vital supply chain for grocery and fuel deliveries to Vancouver Island. Alternate sailings filled quickly, leaving many passengers to rebook for later in the week or seek costly last-minute flights.
![Atmospheric-River Storm Closes B.C. Highway 4 and Forces Ferry Cancellations, Disrupting Holiday Travel]()
The timing could not be worse for mobility managers moving staff to year-end project sites or arranging holiday home leave. Companies with assignees on Vancouver Island were advised to monitor ferry advisories and secure hotel rooms, as accommodation in Nanaimo and Victoria began selling out by mid-afternoon. Employers with “island allowance” policies may need to reimburse extra costs for rental cars, meals, or charter flights.
Logistics firms rerouted freight via the Duke Point terminal, but space limitations and driver-hours regulations created backlogs. The Port of Vancouver reported no major delays but warned that sustained rainfall could slow rail transfers if yard operations are curtailed for safety reasons. Environment Canada expects the storm to weaken overnight, yet another system is forecast for December 11–12, putting additional strain on already fragile transport links.
The storm underscores the increasing climate-related volatility facing mobility planners in Canada’s coastal regions. Risk-management teams are urged to map alternative routes (including all-cargo air options) and to verify that emergency-contact information for travelling employees is current.
BC Ferries pre-emptively cancelled several sailings on the Tsawwassen–Swartz Bay and Horseshoe Bay–Nanaimo corridors, citing sustained winds above 70 km/h and low visibility. The cancellations stranded hundreds of travellers and cut off a vital supply chain for grocery and fuel deliveries to Vancouver Island. Alternate sailings filled quickly, leaving many passengers to rebook for later in the week or seek costly last-minute flights.
The timing could not be worse for mobility managers moving staff to year-end project sites or arranging holiday home leave. Companies with assignees on Vancouver Island were advised to monitor ferry advisories and secure hotel rooms, as accommodation in Nanaimo and Victoria began selling out by mid-afternoon. Employers with “island allowance” policies may need to reimburse extra costs for rental cars, meals, or charter flights.
Logistics firms rerouted freight via the Duke Point terminal, but space limitations and driver-hours regulations created backlogs. The Port of Vancouver reported no major delays but warned that sustained rainfall could slow rail transfers if yard operations are curtailed for safety reasons. Environment Canada expects the storm to weaken overnight, yet another system is forecast for December 11–12, putting additional strain on already fragile transport links.
The storm underscores the increasing climate-related volatility facing mobility planners in Canada’s coastal regions. Risk-management teams are urged to map alternative routes (including all-cargo air options) and to verify that emergency-contact information for travelling employees is current.
