BC Ferries adds extra sailing between Nanaimo, Victoria due to Malahat closure

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Victoria — BC Ferries is planning to operate a single round-trip sailing between Nanaimo and Victoria on Thursday due to closures on the Malahat highway.

The company says that the sailing is intended to transport essential goods and travellers with urgent needs.

The Coastal Celebration vessel will sail between Swartz Bay and Duke Point on a first-come, first-served basis. No reservations will be accepted for the special sailing.

The round-trip sailing will depart at the following times:

BC Ferries also added sailings to its Brentwood Bay to Mill Bay route earlier this week. Four more sailings were added Wednesday evening, though no additional sailings have been scheduled for the rest of the week.

The Malahat highway on Vancouver Island is only open to single-lane alternating traffic during daytime hours.

The highway is closed between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. daily until Nov. 22.

The only other detour for drivers on Vancouver Island is to take the Pacific Marine route.