Wildfires, WestJet labour dispute complicate B.C. Day long

Wildfires, WestJet labour dispute complicate B.C. Day long-weekend travel

B.C. Ferries and YVR brace for heavy traffic as highway closures and flight cancellations add pressure

Wildfires, highway closures and flight disruptions due to a labour dispute are complicating travel across B.C. as residents head out for the B.C. Day long weekend.

The province is urging people to check road conditions before travelling, particularly in the B.C. Interior.

Highway 1 remains closed through part of the Fraser Canyon in the Boston Bar area for much of the way between Hope and Lytton because of the Brunswick Complex wildfires.

The Coquihalla Highway or Highway 5 is the main alternate route but the province is warning of significant delays over the weekend because of major drainage construction work between Hope and Merritt.

Hundreds of properties under evacuation order as Pear Lake wildfire grows in B.C.

North of Lytton, a more than 60-kilometre stretch of Highway 97 is also closed through the Clinton area between Cache Creek and 100 Mile House because of the massive Pear Lake wildfire, which has prompted evacuation orders for hundreds of properties in B.C.’s Cariboo region.

Drivers are being advised to leave with a full tank of gas or a fully charged battery and carry food and drinking water.

WestJet flights affected at YVR

Vancouver International Airport says it’s expecting about 340,000 passengers between July 31 and Aug. 3.

Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Hong Kong and San Francisco are among the most popular destinations this weekend.

But some WestJet passengers could face disruptions after the airline began cancelling flights ahead of a possible strike by flight attendants on Sunday.

YVR said 16 WestJet flights were affected as of Saturday, though that number could change throughout the day. Other airlines were operating normally.

WestJet announced that a total of 198 flights have been cancelled as of Saturday afternoon. The company says the move is meant to prevent crew and passengers from getting stranded, and travellers should check their flight status before leaving for the airport.

Busiest weekend of the year: B.C. Ferries

B.C. Ferries says the August long weekend is traditionally its busiest of the year, with major routes between the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast expected to operate at or near vehicle capacity.

Spokesperson Lilian Kim said the system carried more than 400,000 passengers and about 130,00 vehicles over the same weekend last year and expects similar demand this year.

Advance bookings are sold out on many major routes especially for Monday sailings from Vancouver Island to the Lower Mainland.

Travellers without reservations can attempt to travel standby, but Kim warned they could face considerable waits or find that no drive-up space remains.

"At this point we're asking if you have essential travel to do, to consider walking on," she said.

The spokesperson says all the vessels in its fleet are deployed and operating at full capacity and is advising passengers to check sailing conditions and capacity before leaving for a terminal.

"We're all out and ready for all the travellers going back and forth from the Island to the Mainland and vice versa this long weekend," the spokesperson said.

🇨🇦➡️🇺🇸Current southbound border wait times across the Lower Mainland:

🚨#BCHwy99 #PeaceArch 2.5 - 3+ hours
🚨#BCHwy15 #PacificHwy 2.5 - 3+ hours
⚠️ #BCHwy13 #Aldergrove 1.5 hours
⚠️#BCHwy11 #Sumas 1+ hour https://t.co/84PDDcpAvF pic.twitter.com/4PlUViGhFY

Lengthy waits at Canada-U.S. border

Southbound travellers also faced long waits at Lower Mainland border crossings Saturday afternoon.

DriveBC reported waits of up to three hours at both the Peace Arch and Pacific Highway crossings. Delays exceeded an hour at Aldergrove and 90 minutes at Sumas.

The Canada Border Services Agency says it expects more travellers at ports of entry and is urging people to plan ahead by checking wait times before arriving at the border.

With files from Shaurya Kshatri and Arden McLeod