Paddle wheeler dismantled

The Spirit of Kelowna has moved to its final resting place after the Columbia Shuswap Regional District and Transport Canada teamed up to dismantle the wrecked paddle wheeler that had been hauled to Sicamous last month.

The CSRD released a statement thanking Transport Canada for its hard work and collaboration, announcing that work to dismantle and dispose of the vessel had been completed.

The Spirit of Kelowna, a 62-foot paddle wheeler, sank near Celista sometime in January 2020, creating an ongoing safety and environmental hazard.

Several government agencies were made aware of the sunken vessel, and an investigation into the matter was launched by Transport Canada soon after.

On Aug. 29, Transport Canada issued a $26,600 administrative penalty against the owner of The Spirit of Kelowna for abandoning the vessel, and informed the owner about the plans to dispose of it.

A Shuswap-area marine recovery company was contracted to remove the vessel from Shuswap Lake and on Oct. 3, the company successfully transported it to a Sicamous marina to be dismantled.

CSRD’s bylaw enforcement department worked with Transport Canada’s Navigation Protection Program to coordinate clean-up efforts, dismantle and dispose of the wrecked ship.

The CSRD agreed to waive landfill tipping fees for the disposal of the remains of the wrecked vessel.

“We’re committed to protecting Canada’s waters from the environmental and safety risks posed by abandoned vessels,” said Anita Anand, minister of transport and president of the treasury board.

“That’s why we’re using all the tools at our disposal to hold vessel owners accountable and keep our lakes and rivers clean.”