Thanksgiving traffic: full BC ferries and busy borders
BC Ferries has stepped up sailings to meet increased demand this Thanksgiving weekend while waits are expected at B.C.'s five southern border crossings.
The Canada Border Services Agency said in a statement Friday that more than 88,000 vehicles came into Canada through those crossings during the Thanksgiving long weekend in 2014.
The agency is asking travellers to arrive early as traffic builds in the afternoon and evenings. It also is advising travellers to use the Abbotsford-Huntingdon crossing rather than the Aldergrove port of entry due to ongoing construction.
Meanwhile BC Ferries has added more that 55 additional sailings to accommodate the increase in travellers. Forty-four of those are on the Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay route, which is the fleet's busiest.
University students
"Thanksgiving long weekend is traditionally a busy weekend at BC Ferries, particularly with foot passengers as many university students will be returning home for the first time this semester," said Corrine Storey, BC Ferries' Vice President of Customer Services in a release.
The corporation asks that travellers check current conditions at its terminals and consider making reservations in advance of travel.
Poor weather forecast
If all the congestion wasn't enough, poor weather conditions forecast for much of the province won't help either.
ICBC is asking motorists to slow down and carefully plan routes as three people are killed in B.C., on average, and 520 people injured in 1,800 crashes each year over the Thanksgiving long weekend.
The province says it does not want residents to be caught unprepared if winds pick up to the same level as was experienced during the August 2015 windstorm.
