An old boat that sank in Shuswap Lake in B.C.’s southern Interior last year, twice, was pulled up in a coordinated effort by federal and regional officials last month.
The Regional District of Columbia Shuswap (CSRD) says the Mandalay B, a 50-foot wooden boat built in 1923 in Vancouver, first sank in the lake in January 2022.
The 100-year-old diesel-powered vessel was privately raised in June 2022, but it sank again around four months later.
“This time, the boat’s owner could not afford the removal costs,” the CSRD said of the iconic North Shuswap landmark, which had been moored off Lee Creek in Electoral Area F.
The regional district said the boat was mostly used on the coast before being brought to the Shuswap in the mid-1990s.
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It added that several relevant agencies — including Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Canadian Coast Guard, Transport Canada and B.C.’s Report All Poachers and Polluters — were made aware of the Mandalay B’s subsequent sinking.
The regional district said its bylaw enforcement team began working with Transport Canada’s navigation protection program to coordinate a collaborative clean-up effort to remove and dispose of the Mandalay B.
“The boat was removed from Shuswap Lake under federal provisions of the Wrecked, Abandoned and Hazardous Vessels Act,” said the CSRD, noting it was pulled up on May 10 by Shuswap-area marine diving and recovery companies.
“After months spent under the water, the antique vessel will not be restored to make a return to the lake,” said the regional district, adding its environmental health department waived landfill fees for the boat’s proper disposal.
“The CSRD appreciates the cooperation of Transport Canada and other government partners in helping to keep Shuswap Lake clean and safe for the public,” said the regional district.
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