Work underway to raise the Spirit of Kelowna from Shuswap Lake on October 3, 2024. (Image Credit: Transport Canada)

By Victor Kaisar

Sunken Paddlewheeler Removed

CSRD, Transport Canada remove sunken boat near Celista

Nov 18, 2024 | 12:12 PM

CELISTA, B.C. — A 62-foot paddle wheeler that sank in the North Shuswap nearly five years ago was removed from the water by the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) and Transport Canada last month.

In a news release, the CSRD says the Jan. 2020 sinking of the Spirit of Kelowna “created a safety and environmental hazard” on Shuswap Lake.

“Relevant agencies including the CSRD, Ministry of Environment, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Canadian Coast Guard and Transport Canada were made aware of the situation and an investigation was launched,” the CSRD said.

It notes the owner of the boat – Avery Shoaf of Rust Valley Restorers fame – was fined $26,600 on Aug. 29 for failing to comply with prohibitions against vessel abandonment under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act.

A decision to dispose of the boat was made three days later, the CSRD added.

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“We’re committed to protecting Canada’s waters from the environmental and safety risks posed by abandoned vessels,” Federal Transportation Minister Anita Anand said, in a statement. “That’s why we’re using all the tools at our disposal to hold vessel owners accountable and keep our lakes and rivers clean.”

The CSRD says the vessel was removed from the water on Oct. 3 and taken to a marina in Sicamous to be dismantled.

“The CSRD’s Bylaw Enforcement Department worked with Transport Canada’s Navigation Protection Program to coordinate a collaborative clean-up effort to remove and dispose of the wreck,” the CSRD said. “The CSRD’s Environmental Services Department has approved waiving the landfill tipping fees for the paddle-wheeler’s proper disposal.”

“The CSRD appreciates Transport Canada’s work and collaboration in helping to keep Shuswap Lake clean and safe for the public.”

It’s not the first time the Spirit of Kelowna has sunk. It sustained minor structural damage after it sank off the shore of Kalamoir Regional Park in West Kelowna in Dec. 2013.

The Spirit of Kelowna submerged near Celista in 2020. (Image Credit: Columbia Shuswap Regional District)