With heavy snow affecting the city, police are advising drivers to stay off the roads if possible."VicPD vehicles are having difficulty on side streets and many hills are becoming impassable," said Sgt. Grant Hamilton in a press release. "If you are involved in a collision where there are no injuries, motorists are encouraged to exchange information and make their own arrangements for towing."
Sooke School District schools are closed and several Victoria area private schools are shut down due to snow. Saanich School District remains open, with schools set to close an hour early today. Bus service will run at the earlier times, but may be delayed. Greater Victoria School District schools are open.
B.C. Transit's website is shut down, due to a high volume of online traffic. Information on routes is being communicated via Twitter, Facebook and media outlets.
HandyDART is providing medical service only.Other routes affected by the snow are:
#3 – No service to Cres/Quimper#4 - Hillside / Cedar Hill X Rd. delayed due to slippery conditions#6 – Emily Carr is open outbound, but remains closed inbound; Chatterton reopened#8 - Finlayson / Cook - delays due to slippery conditions#11 - Unable to service Finnerty/Arbutus area or Uplands - Detour via: Cadboro Bay, Cedar Hill X Rd. to UVic. - reverse outbound#13 - Cancelled#14 - Not servicing Cedar Hill X Rd. - Detour via Richmond, Lansdowne, Henderson to UVic.#17 - Reopened#21 – Interurban @ Viaduct & Tech Park inaccessible; buses turning at Camosun College#22 – Hastings or Holland Rd. closed. No service on Wilkinson between Burnside & Helmcken
#24 - Outbound detours via Cook, Finlayson, and Cedar Hill on to regular route; innbound detours via Cedar Hill to Hillside, and Cook on to regular route
#26 – Back to regular route
#27 – No service to Ferndale, detour via Gordon Head Road., Grandview#28 – Back to regular route#30 – Back to regular route
#31 – Back to regular route
#32 – Back to regular route#35 - Cancelled
#39 - No service to Royal Roads
#52 Lagoon Rd inaccessible, No service on Cairndale Rd.#53 – Cancelled#54/55 – Back to regular route#56/57 – Back to regular route#59 – Back to regular route
#61 – Sooke Rd. at 17 Mile – Sooke Road outbound now alternating single lane traffic; service delays can be expected#66 – Cancelled#83 – No service to Beaver/Quail
Snow shuts down UVic high school symposium
University of Victoria has cancelled a symposium set for today because of the snow. About 250 high school students were to attend Let's Talk Science, a day-long discussion about climate change in the MacLaurin building. It will be re-scheduled for April. Regular classes at UVic were not is session because of reading break.
Severe Weather Forces Blue Box Pickup Delays and Cancellations
The snow and ice have also forced the delay and cancellation of Blue Box recycling pickup. Today is Blue Wednesday and collection regularly takes place in the downtown core area, extending to Hillside, Finlayson and Foul Bay Road and in Oak Bay. Collection from major roads will be attempted if accessible. If curbside recycling is not collected residents are advised to hold on to their recyclables until their next collection day.
The regular recycling schedule will resume when it becomes safe. For information updates and to determine your next collection day or other collection options, visit www.crd.bc.ca/recycle or call the Recycling Hotline at 250.360.3030.
Libraries close early
All Greater Victoria Public Library branches will be closing at 4 p.m. today due to the inclement weather.
Camosun closed
Camosun college cancelled classes for the day.
ecardone@vicnews.com