Okanagan Lake paddlewheeler, M.V. Fintry Queen, damaged in vandalism spree

KELOWNA, B.C. – An aging paddlewheeler that once ferried passengers and cars to isolated communities on Okanagan Lake has been targeted by vandals.

Kelowna RCMP report the M.V. Fintry Queen, which has been tied to a Kelowna dock for the last two years, was extensively damaged in a vandalism spree that could have lasted for days.

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The ferry’s caretaker, Andy Schwab, discovered the mess when he brought a prospective buyer aboard the vessel last week.

Schwab says it appears squatters pried a sliding glass door on the 63-year-old ship sometime between Dec. 9 and 15, raided the food and liquor supplies and then began destroying the interior, causing an estimated $20,000 damage.

Discarded cell phones and ID have been found among the debris and RCMP forensic experts hope the items may lead them to the suspects.

The Fintry Queen carried passengers between Kelowna and Westbank from 1948 to 1958 and converted to a floating restaurant and cruise ship after a bridge was built across Okanagan Lake, but it has been in receivership since 2009. (CKQQ)