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Power shut off to boats at Summerland Yacht Club

Clubhouse and restaurant building remains open as flood water rises
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JOHN ARENDT RISING WATER The rising water level at Okanagan Lake is affecting the Summerland Yacht Club. The building at centre is normally on dry land. Power to the boats has been shut off, but the restaurant and clubhouse building remains open.

The Summerland Yacht Club’s clubhouse and restaurant building is still open for business, but the power to the boats has been disconnected.

John Fitzgerald, commodore of the yacht club, said the municipality disconnected the power earlier this month because of the high water level.

“It’s an inconvenience, but it’s not a big issue,” he said.

Because of the high lake level, the parking lot near the docks is now flooded and a sandbag dike has been set up near the clubhouse.

The building near the gas now has at least 20 centimetres of water inside and as a result, it is now closed to the public.

However, Fitzgerald said the water has not yet reached the gas pumps. The holding tank, above ground level, has not been affected by the rising lake level.

Next door, at the Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C. trout hatchery, the rising water is not causing problems at present.

“We have basically been unaffected,” said Kyle Girgan, hatchery manager.

He said the work of staff and volunteers of at the yacht club has minimized the effects of the flooding. The yacht club staff and volunteers have set up a sandbag dike, which is serving to keep the hatchery safe.

“In terms of water on site, we don’t have any,” he said.



John Arendt

About the Author: John Arendt

John Arendt has worked as a journalist for more than 30 years. He has a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Journalism degree from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute.
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