Marine Atlantic cancellations cause upheaval

Hundreds of travellers affected by a weather-prompted halt to the Cabot Strait ferry service were trying Tuesday to make alternate plans to get home for Christmas, although some don't know how they'll do it.

"[It's my] first Christmas ever without my children," Carol Mulrooney told CBC News from Port aux Basques, in southwestern Newfoundland, where she was unable to board a Marine Atlantic ferry Monday for Nova Scotia.

'I'm heartbroken. Lonely, empty, sad, broke.' —Carol Mulrooney

High winds and forecasts of nine-metre waves prompted Marine Atlantic to keep its vessels in port, with no crossings expected before late Thursday.

Mulrooney, who had been driving from St. John's to Halifax, headed for a hotel Monday night but said she does not have the money to stay there any longer. Instead, she said she will probably have to spend a few nights in her car.

"I'm heartbroken. Lonely, empty, sad, broke," Mulrooney said.

Mulrooney asked Marine Atlantic for help, but there was nothing the Crown-owned company could do.

A Marine Atlantic spokeswoman told CBC News that 900 people had reservations to travel on the Cabot Strait ferries between Tuesday and Thursday. When the ferries begin operating again, the company said it will schedule its reserved customers in the order of their scheduled sailing.

Cars line ferry terminal

Newfoundlanders anxious to get home for Christmas gathered at the North Sydney, N.S., ferry terminal on Tuesday.

"Nobody got control of the weather, so I just have to grin and bear it," said Ford Saunders, who is hoping to join his wife and grandchildren in Springdale, N.L.

"Last year I was the same, I was here three days before I got home, but I did get home for Christmas."

Dwayne Campbell said he left Red Deer, Alta., on Wednesday and drove his rig more than 5,000 kilometres to North Sydney. He arrived Monday afternoon and discovered the last ferry to Newfoundland had left.

"That boat was supposed to sail last night at 10:30, but instead they let her go at two in the afternoon," Campbell said Tuesday.

He said he's afraid he'll lose his spot on the next available crossing if he leaves a parking lot to check into a hotel.

"We still got our boarding pass but we lose our reservation. Then it's first-come, first-served so then we don't know when we'll get on so we got to sit in our vehicle here for three days," said Campbell.

It's the second disruption in a little over a week for Marine Atlantic, which was forced last week to cancel crossings for about two days.

This week's cancellation will affect delivery of mail and freight. Canada Post has five tractor-trailers on the dock in North Sydney bound for Newfoundland. That mail is not expected to be delivered in time for Christmas.

Canada Post said packages that are sent by express or priority post by Wednesday can still be delivered by Saturday.