Hundreds of people have been stranded in airports trying to get home for the holidays as British Columbia is pummelled with inches of snow and ice, including one Victoria mother.

Heidi-Louise Chadwick is just one of many who are feeling the impact of the severe weather, poor flight responses and other transit cancellations.

On a travel stint from Orlando, FL to Calgary Dec. 21, the mother and her two-year-old son were late getting to their connecting flight to Victoria because of a delayed landing and a moved gate. The flight was, however, delayed multiple times - leaving Chadwick and her son waiting for hours on the hard airport floor.

After arriving at the airport around 9:45 p.m., Chadwick, who was flying with WestJet, learned that her flight was cancelled around 2:30 a.m. She and others on the flight were asked to leave immediately and without their suitcases.

害羞草研究所淭he staff said they couldn害羞草研究所檛 help anyone and we害羞草研究所檇 get an email,害羞草研究所� Chadwick said. 害羞草研究所淭hey said we would get a $150-per-night hotel reimbursement for up to three nights. We weren害羞草研究所檛 allowed a voucher and due to sheer volume of cancellations they couldn害羞草研究所檛 comment on hotel availability or assist any of us. They said they couldn害羞草研究所檛 comment on rescheduling info and flight availability. They then reiterated we all needed to leave immediately. They said we couldn害羞草研究所檛 have our suitcases and said they害羞草研究所檇 be on the next flight we害羞草研究所檙e on.害羞草研究所�

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As Chadwick quickly tried to book a hotel, she soon found that anything close was full and stranded with an infant and only a carry on, she was left bewildered at the treatment she and others had received.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 a well-versed traveller and have travelled with my son solo many times and have never felt so abandoned by an airline,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚 understand there is only so much that the check-in staff can do but as I solo-travelled with a child, it was turning into a very dangerous and scary situation.害羞草研究所�

With the help of some other good-willed passengers, she was able to find a taxi to a hotel that could take her, getting there at 4:30 a.m. Dec. 22.

Later, she received an email from WestJet alerting her that the company was unable to find her another flight, further extending her trip. It was then that Chadwick害羞草研究所檚 husband insisted he drive the 12-14-hour trek over land and water to come get his wife and son.

害羞草研究所淎t this point, I just needed my luggage as I didn害羞草研究所檛 even have a coat, let alone anything appropriate for -40C weather for my son,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淲e had no one to watch our cats and we didn害羞草研究所檛 know how long it would take for him to get to us and us to get back so he had to bring them with him. Luckily, the hotel I stayed at allowed pets and we could check them in once he arrived.害羞草研究所�

Chadwick knows she is not alone in this mess. Flight cancellations and other transportation delays have caused massive problems across the country.

As of now, Chadwick, her family and her pets are still trying to make it home.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e tried to contact WestJet to see if I can locate my luggage and see if there was any other option but their phone lines were full and they weren害羞草研究所檛 accepting any more calls,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 been really tough. I spoke to a few people at the hotel I was at, the staff there and also my taxi driver, and the effects of these cancellations have been felt throughout the whole of Canada.害羞草研究所�

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