Deadline looms for Kelowna’s Fintry Queen

Andy Schwab boards his beloved Fintry Queen for what could be for the last time because he’s running out of time.

His ship has been sitting idle in Kelowna’s Sutherland Bay for nearly four years.

Since then, the unpaid moorage bills owed to the City of Kelowna have been piling up and he’s worn out his welcome.

That means the wheels could stop turning for Schwab in a matter of days. The court-ordered deadline to move the ship was supposed to be today. The new deadline is August 1 at the latest.

“If the ship does not move by the end of July, then the city will padlock it and I will be out and I don’t know what its future will be at that point,” said Schwab.

With a court ordered deadline hanging over his head, Schwab is quickly running out of options. One of them was to move the ship near the Bennett bridge — just off Westbank First Nations land. Schwab says the band has made it clear the Fintry is not welcome off its shores.

“Unless we have the permission of the upland owner we’re essentially not allowed to stay anywhere. Technically speaking because this is a ship and this is a federal navigable waterway you can anchor anywhere for two weeks. But after two weeks you overstay your welcome and then the ministry of natural resources can ask you to move,” said Schwab.

Schwab says he’s welcome in Penticton but he would have to foot the bill for the dock. He says maybe this 11th hour crisis will spur a last minute miracle.

“I’m still optimistic in the next week or so, something is going to happen. Someone will come forward – a small group will come together with $300,000, we can raise $300,000 through the bank — build a dock in Penticton and we’d be running again by next summer,” said Schwab.

And while some share Schwab’s enthusiasm to save the Fintry, the widespread support is not there. Last week, he launched a public campaign to raise $100,000 by selling $10 tickets. He needed to sell 10,000 but only sold 500 leaving him $95,000 short of his goal.