One of the last remaining steam tugboats in Canada is heading for restoration

One of the last remaining steam tugboats in Canada is heading for restoration

The S.S. Naramata was launched in 1914

One of the last remaining steam tugboats in Canada is about to be preserved further so that it can be enjoyed by spectators for years to come .

At 112 years old, the S.S. Naramata sits near Okanagan Lake in Penticton, B.C. The ship launched in 1914 and it was in operation for 53 years.

The S.S. Sicamous Marine Heritage Society said during that time, the ship played a critical role in connecting the region long before highways existed.

“Tugs like the Naramata would connect with the railways. They would take fruit and supplies from one end of the lake to the other, stopping at communities along the way that didn’t have access to the railway,” said society president Jessie Laven.

In the winter when Okanagan Lake would freeze over, the society said the ship served a special purpose.

“It has a reinforced bow so it would break ice for the paddle wheelers,” said board member Paul O’Neil.

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The S.S. Naramata could hold up to 20 people on board. The S.S Sicamous Marine Heritage Society said during those days, crews had the luxury of a galley similar to a typical kitchen with a coal fired stove. Special rooms also existed for the chief engineer, captain and first officer. The society said it was also the first ship on Okanagan Lake with running water and a flushable toilet at the time of the ship’s launch.

“It’s unique, it’s one of a kind and it is really important for the story of our community and region,” said Laven.

Last week Penticton city council voted to approve up to $45,000 in funding, the final piece the society needed for the project.

“It’s hard enough for organizations to get grants right now. So let’s make sure they get that grant,” Coun. Issac Gilbert said before the vote.

The society raised $205,000 on their own through various donations and grants including $50,000 from the Heritage Legacy Fund.

Now with the funds secured, the society will begin their plans to lift the boat seven feet higher to prevent corrosion.

“We are going to be building a custom concrete cradle, alongside the hull of the S.S. Naramata, it’s been designed using custom plans from the Vernon Museum,” Laven said.

Once that’s built, Laven said crews will build a temporary berm around the ship.

“We are going to pump it full of water, and the ship is going to naturally rise out of the mud. Then we are going to position it over the concrete cradle, and as the water slowly drains it will settle nicely into the concrete cradle,” Laven said.

The society hopes to have the restoration fully completed by next spring.

Tiffany Goodwein is an award-winning journalist with CBC British Columbia who covers Penticton and the south Okanagan region. She previously spent six years reporting in Alberta and is happy to be back home in B.C., where she grew up. You can contact her at tiffany.goodwein@cbc.ca