B.C. Day travellers urged to plan ahead for ferry, airport and road congestion

Travellers are being urged to prepare for heavy traffic on the B.C. Day long weekend, with busy ferry terminals, a crowded Vancouver International Airport and wildfire-related road risks across the province.

BC Ferries says the holiday is historically its busiest travel weekend. Its main routes carried about 130,000 vehicles and more than 405,000 passengers over the same weekend last year, and it expects similar demand this year. Advance vehicle bookings on the busiest routes and sailings are essentially sold out.

Vehicle travellers without a reservation should expect long waits and may have to take a later sailing if space is available. BC Ferries recommends walking on where possible, using transit or arranging a drop-off rather than parking at terminals, and checking its Current Conditions page. All vehicle customers on the Horseshoe Bay–Nanaimo Departure Bay route must have paid reservations.

YVR forecasts 340,400 travellers from July 31 to Aug. 3 and recommends checking flight status and reserving parking. The airport expects an average of 85,300 passengers daily between June 12 and Sept. 8, totalling 7.6 million, a 13 per cent increase from 2025.

The province also reported nearly 130 active wildfires and advised motorists to check road conditions. Campfire restrictions cover much of southern B.C.; fires can be reported through the BC Wildfire Service app, by calling 1-800-663-5555, or *5555 from a cellphone.