BC Highway Patrol officers did not enjoy a quiet long weekend near Lake Cowichan.
Patrols were stepped up due to an increase in traffic for Canada Day weekend and a music festival.
In total, BCHP Vancouver Island conducted 265 roadside breath screening tests on drivers.
Of the 26 impaired drivers curbed, 24 were for being impaired by alcohol, the other two for being impaired by drugs.
"Impaired driving is one of the leading causes of deaths on our roadways, so finding nearly one out of every 10 drivers we tested over the long weekend was impaired is of great concern to me." - Staff Sgt. Adam Tallboy, acting Officer in Charge of BC Highway Patrol Vancouver Island.
The immediate roadside driving bans that were issued ranged from 3 days to 90 days, depending on blood alcohol concentration, as well as vehicle impoundments.
Police say drivers should expect to see an increase in impaired driving enforcement and mandatory breath testing.