Mother Nature dumps snow on B.C.’s south coast, snarls travel, cuts power

VANCOUVER – Mother Nature is reminding residents of B.C.’s south coast what it means to be Canadian, dumping snow on the region, snarling travel plans and cutting power.

Between 10 to 15 centimetres of snow was forecast to fall between the east coast of Vancouver Island, Greater Victoria and the Fraser Valley during the day, brought on by a frontal system originating in the Pacific.

Victoria airport spokesman Terry Stewart says some flights left Monday morning but the airport has been forced to delay or cancel others because it has run out of de-icing liquid.

He says the airport is receiving some de-icing fluid from Vancouver’s airport, which has also experienced delays, and expects flights to resume by the early evening.

BC Hydro spokeswoman Simi Heer says the snowfall hit customers the hardest on the east coast of Vancouver Island and on the Gulf Islands, where about 23,000 were without power in the early morning hours.

And the Ministry of Transportation says it’s planning to close the Coquihalla Highway for four hours Tuesday morning for avalanche-control work after the mountains were blanketed in metres of snow.