Thanks to a collaboration with Transport Canada, the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) and other government agencies, a safety and environmental hazard has been removed from Shuswap Lake.
The Mandalay B is a 100-year-old wooden, diesel-powered boat moored off Lee Creek in Electoral Area F. The 50-foot boat was originally built in Vancouver in 1923 and was mostly used on the coast before being brought to the Shuswap in the mid-1990s.
The Mandalay B had previously sunk into the lake in January 2022. A private recovery effort raised it back out of the water in June 2022.
Unfortunately, the iconic North Shuswap landmark became submerged again roughly four months later. This time, the boat’s owner could not afford the removal costs.
Relevant agencies including the CSRD, BC RAPP (Report all Poachers and Polluters) line, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Canadian Coast Guard and Transport Canada were made aware of the Mandalay B’s subsequent sinking.
CSRD Bylaw Enforcement began to work 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.
On May 10, Shuswap-area marine diving and recovery companies successfully removed the boat from Shuswap Lake.
After months spent under the water, the antique vessel will not be restored to make a return to the lake. The CSRD's Environmental Health Department waived the tipping 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.
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Photos/Video by Chris Smit, CSRD