Keeping the lake clean, that’s one of the Regional District of Central Okanagan’s priorities in the region and it says steps are being taken to remove an old float home.
The float home is beached on the western shore of Okanagan Lake, at Bear Creek Provincial Park.
RDCO board member Charlie Hodge introduced a notice of motion to have the decrepit float home removed from Okanagan lake.
“It’s actually in the jurisdiction of the park and, sadly, it’s been there for way too long,” said Hodge.
“It’s been there for years and years and years, the RDCO has been trying to get rid of it for a long time.”
The notice of motion was passed unanimously by the RDCO board and a letter of recommendation of removal has been sent to the B.C. Ministry of Land, Water and Resources and the B.C. Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.
“It’s been an old case of whose responsibility is it? Is it the feds or is it the province? They’ve been playing dodgeball,” said Hodge.
“I made a motion, on Monday night, that we send a letter to the province to get rid of it, and we are asking for the immediate removal.”
The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy offered a statement regarding the float home.
“The float home has had a federal authorization to be moored on the lake outside the provincial park, but due to weather, it has recently broken free and poses a risk to the park. B.C. Parks is working with the owner of the structure to have it removed from the area,” wrote ministry staff, in an email.
The RDCO would like to see the float home removed immediately.
It has serious concerns that the float home is going to fall apart and cause damage to the surrounding ecosystem.
The regional district also says this float home is not a singular problem, and there are a number of other float homes and seemingly abandoned boats that also pose risks to the environment, which they are prioritizing for removal from Okanagan Lake.