In 1904, it became obvious that the demand for passenger and freight services was beyond the capacity of the S.S. Aberdeen- the first Canadian Pacific (CP) sternwheeler on the lake- so plans for a new steamship began to develop. Plans for this new ship were modelled after the S.S. Rossland on the CP’s Columbia River Service. Construction began at the Okanagan Landing Shipyards in the spring of 1906. Upon completion the S.S. Okanagan, named for the lake it was to sail on, cost CP approximately $90,000. She was launched April 16, 1907 at Okanagan Landing followed by a lovely Gala Ball at the Strand Hotel, Okanagan Landing.
The S.S. Okanagan featured a beautiful interior with a large Dining Saloon, spacious ladies’ cabins, a smoking lounge, and 32 overnight cabins. The interior boasted attractive colours with goldleaf highlights, bright chandeliers and curtains on the windows. Wall to wall carpets adorned the ladies’ cabins, linoleum was in the men’s smoking lounge where men chewed tobacco, and a hardwood parquet floor was a feature of the Dining Saloon.
The addition of the S.S. Okanagan into the fleet drastically improved CP’s Okanagan Lake service which in turn attracted more settlers to the Okanagan Valley and increased the Okanagan’s economic development.
Maiden Voyage
On a Friday in the April of 1907, the S.S. Okanagan embarked on her maiden voyage. Her first stop of the day was Kelowna. At Kelowna, the people were invited to hop on for a quick trip to Gellatly’s, about a 20 km distance. Many did, some even closing their businesses for the brief trip intending to return quickly to resume business. However, upon reaching Gellatly Captain Gore, Superintendent of CPR Lake Steamers, who was in charge of the ship assisted by Captain Estabrooks, decided to continue on. They picked up more passengers at Peachland and Summerland before arriving in Penticton. Since the trip was expected to be short, no food was available for the almost 500 people on board. As a result, many on board were almost starved upon reaching Penticton. In the fifteen minutes the ship stayed at the dock several people raided the stores of Penticton “which probably never before had such a rush of business…” (Kelowna Courier April 25, 1907) and returned with their arms full of whatever eatables they were able to round up (biscuits, loaves of bread, soda crackers, etc.). Upon return, the mayor of Kelowna thanked Captain Gore for “a very pleasant outing and wisely said nothing about the businessmen held captive for the round trip.” (Kelowna Courier April 25, 1907)
Day to Day Operations
The Okanagan sailed up and down the lake everyday. She would usually only stop at Kelowna, Summerland, Peachland, Naramata, Penticton, and Okanagan Landing, leaving the smaller S.S. Aberdeen to service the smaller settlements around the lake. In June of 1907 the Okanagan began carrying the mail, however, there was not a mail clerk on board until June of 1911.
In addition to her regularly scheduled run, the Okanagan often made special runs: usually for special events or important visitors.
Vernon News April 29, 1909: "The Okanagan made a special trip to Penticton on Thursday evening on the occasion of the presentation of “the Pirates of Penzance” by the Kelowna Amateur Dramatic Society."
Vernon News July 27, 1911: "At the Peachland regatta proceedings [were] interrupted by the arrival of the S.S. Okanagan, the crew of which performed an impromptu fire drill. Captain Estabrook is to be complimented on the efficiency of the training given his crew in this regard. Before the four whistles which constitute the alarm had finished sounding there were evidences of the bustles of preparation, and in a remarkably short time the five or six hose streams were in play in readiness for the work of fire fighting."
Vernon News August 20, 1914: "CPR turned the Okanagan into a hotel for those who were attending the irrigation convention and could not find lodging in town."
Retirement and Dismantling
A victim to her own success, the Okanagan only ran regularly as a passenger vessel for seven years, until the newer, bigger S.S. Sicamous took over the run. Starting in 1914 the main task of the Okanagan was the transportation of goods to and from points on the lake.
She was retired in 1934 due to the decrease in demand for freight and passenger service on Okanagan Lake owing to the improvement of roads and increase in overland/highway transportation. The glamorous Sicamous followed only two years later.
The S.S. Okanagan was broken apart in 1938 at Okanagan Landing and the pieces sold for scrap. According to a report from the Okanagan Heritage Society (13:59) the boiler was acquired by a cannery on the outskirts of Kelowna. Only two pieces of the house structure survived the dismantling intact. One was the Captain’s Quarters which became a cabin for Jack Taylor at Inster’s Quarry just past Otter Bay (Ellison Park), he lived there until about 1960. The other was the Ladies’ Stern Saloon which was bought and used as a beach house in Vernon for 60 years until the SS Sicamous Restoration Society bought it in 1995 and relocated it next to the S.S. Sicamous at Penticton in 2002.
Sources
The Thirteenth Report of the Okanagan Historical Society (1949) pg.59
The Nineteenth Report of the Okanagan Historical Society (1955) pg. 68
https://www.vernonmorningstar.com/opinion/vernons-ellison-park-a-local-gem-3363489
The Kelowna Courier* -Newspaper (Various Dates)
The Vernon News* - Newspaper (Various Dates)
The Penticton Herald* - Newspaper (Various Dates)
The Orchard City Record** - Newspaper (Various Dates)
*Retrieved from: https://bcrdh.ca/islandora/object/news%3Aroot
**Retrieved from: https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xkelownarec
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