Current Travel Advisories
LAST UPDATED: August 26, 2026
Bella Coola BC Ferries UPDATE
Great News! Northern Sea Wolf Returns to Service Early
BC Ferries has confirmed that the Northern Sea Wolf is returning to service earlier than expected following successful leak repairs and Transport Canada clearance. Regular scheduled sailings on the Central Coast route will resume on August 29.
Booking System Updates & Priority Access BC Ferries is currently reloading these sailings into the reservation system. Sailings are expected to be open for booking by noon today:
- Phase 1: Direct Port Hardy ↔ Bella Coola sailings will open first.
- Phase 2: Mid-coast transfer sailings will open shortly after.
- Priority Rebooking: BC Ferries is reaching out directly to previously cancelled guests to offer priority rebooking before opening general inventory.
Reopened Sailing Schedule
- August 29: Port Hardy to Bella Coola
- August 30: Bella Coola to Port Hardy
- August 31: Port Hardy to Bella Coola
- September 1: Bella Coola to Port Hardy
- September 2: Port Hardy to Bella Coola
- September 5: Bella Coola to Port Hardy
- September 6: Port Hardy to Bella Coola
- September 7: Bella Coola to Port Hardy
Mid-Coast Sailings (Sept 3 & 4) For scheduled mid-coast transfers on September 3 and 4, impacted customers will be moved directly back onto their original Northern Sea Wolf sailings. Water taxi and barge supplementary services will no longer be required for these dates.
What You Should Do
- Watch for Direct Contact: If your sailing was previously cancelled, keep an eye out for notification from BC Ferries to reclaim your booking.
- Contact Your Operators: If you held or adjusted local accommodation, tour, or guide bookings during the disruption, reach out to your providers to confirm or restore your original dates.
- Rebook Online or by Phone: You can manage your reservation online or via customer service at 1-888-223-3779 (1-888-BC-FERRY).
Bella Coola BC Ferries
🚫 So your sailing to Bella Coola has been cancelled — frustrating and stressful, but you’re not out of options.
BC Ferries has confirmed cancellations of Central Coast sailings from August 19–September 7 due to a mechanical issue with the Northern Sea Wolf. The affected route connects Port Hardy, Bella Bella, Shearwater, Ocean Falls and Bella Coola. BC Ferries is working to secure dry-dock capacity for repairs; return to service date is scheduled to be September 8, and they are also working to provide supplementary foot-passenger water taxi service to mid-coast communities.
1. Before you cancel, call your operators
This is the single most important step. The accommodations, guides, and tour operators in this region know the alternatives, they can hold a booking, and they’ll often have ideas you haven’t thought of. Pick up the phone before you cancel. Many will help you reroute, shift dates, or suggest a different way in rather than lose your trip altogether.
2. Rebook the ferry if you can travel later this season
- Schedule (next sailings)
- Phone (reservations / customer service): 1-888-223-3779 (1-888-BC-FERRY)
3. If BC Ferries cancelled your sailing: refunds & compensation
If BC Ferries cancels your booking and can’t move you to an alternate sailing, you’re entitled to a full refund of your fares and reservation fee.
For out-of-pocket expenses, there’s a claims process through Customer Relations.
4. Fly in and rent a vehicle locally
You can skip the ferry entirely and fly. Pacific Coastal Airlines flies non-stop from Vancouver (YVR South Terminal) to Bella Coola (about 1 hour 20 minutes, three days a week) and to Anahim Lake in the West Chilcotin (daily in summer). Once you land, rent a 4×4 locally from Bella Coola Vehicle Rentals — they’re based at the Bella Coola Airport and also have a location in Anahim Lake. Or ask your experience provider or accommodation for any pick up options or shuttle services.
5. Drive in via Highway 20
Bella Coola is also reachable by road from Williams Lake via Highway 20 — about 5-6 hours.
- Road conditions: https://www.drivebc.ca
6. Headed to the Chilcotin? Anahim Lake changes the picture
If your destination is the West Chilcotin — Anahim Lake, Tweedsmuir Provincial Park, the Dean River corridor — you may not need the ferry at all. Anahim Lake sits on Highway 20 on the plateau, so you can drive there from Williams Lake. You can also fly straight into Anahim Lake with Pacific Coastal and pick up a rental from Bella Coola Vehicle Rentals’ Anahim Lake location.
7. Adjust your stay
If your dates or route shift, you’ll likely need to move your accommodation and any tours or bookings. Here’s where to start:
- Contact your originally booked accommodations & experience providers.
A cancelled ferry doesn’t have to mean a cancelled trip. Between rebooking, flying, driving, or simply redirecting through the Chilcotin, the region is still well within reach — and the operators who live there are your best first call.
*Data sourced from the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association website.
2026 Wildfire Updates
🚫 Effective August 10 at noon PT, the Province has announced a temporary prohibition on the recreational use of off-road vehicles on Crown land throughout Kamloops and Southeast fire centres, as well as portions of the Cariboo and Coastal fire centres. For more information, please follow BC Gov News
🚫 Effective August 8, British Columbia has declared a state of provincial emergency due to regional wildfires. Read the Premier's statement on what this means for your travel at Office of the Premier
🚫 Follow Destination BC's Know Before you Go travel information
Winter tires are required on mountainous routes from October 1-March 31st.