TORONTO — Air Canada is waiving change fees for flights to more than a dozen destinations in Atlantic Canada and eastern Quebec as Hurricane Dorian pulls away from the U.S. east coast and tracks north.

For flights Sept. 7, Air Canada has invoked its flexible rebooking policy for Halifax, Fredericton, Moncton, Saint John, Sydney, Gaspé, Charlottetown and Îles-de-la-Madeleine.

For flights Sept. 8, the list has more destinations. In addition to Halifax, Fredericton, Moncton, Saint John, Sydney, Gaspé, Charlottetown and Îles-de-la-Madeleine, there’s also Bathurst, Deer Lake, Gander, Goose Bay and St. John’s.

WestJet’s flexible rebooking policy applies to any destination the airline serves on Canada’s east coast, for travel Sept. 7 or Sept. 8.

Linda Libby, an Environment Canada meteorologist, said Dorian is “certainly on its way” and that it remains to be seen whether the massive storm system will transition from tropical to post-tropical by the time it hit parts of Atlantic Canada sometime Saturday.

“We are looking at a large swath through Atlantic Canada and Quebec that could see impacts from Dorian,” she said.
The Canadian Hurricane Centre said the most likely track projection would bring Dorian south of the Maritimes on Saturday, pushing through eastern Nova Scotia late in the day.

The forecast called for severe winds and rainfall to have major impacts for southeastern New Brunswick, PEI, Nova Scotia, western Newfoundland and Quebec’s Lower North Shore, with a chance of a storm surge that may affect parts of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.

The Nova Scotia Emergency Management Office (EMO) and Newfoundland and Labrador government cautioned that people should ensure they have enough food, water, medication and supplies for at least 72 hours.

The New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization and the Prince Edward Island government issued similar appeals.

With file from The Canadian Press