Welcome aboard the "MV Fintry
Queen", a 326 passenger ship on
Okanagan Lake. Today the ship
lies at anchor waiting for the
next
chapter in her life story. For
more than 60 years she was part
of Kelowna
's downtown
waterfront, carrying more than
25,000 passengers during the
summer months. A new plan is
underway to have the ship
operate in the South Okanagan
between the lakefront
communities of Penticton,
Naramata and Summerland, while
also visiting parks, wineries
and resorts situated along the
shoreline, similar to the
services provided by the
historic CPR paddlewheelers many
years ago.
Originally named the "M.V.
Lequime", the Fintry Queen was
built in Vancouver in 1948 and
shipped by rail in sections to
Kelowna, where she became one of
three car and passenger ferries
crossing Okanagan Lake. The
smallest ferry, the Pendozi, is
now the Clubhouse for the
Westbank Yacht Club. The third
ferry the "Lloyd Jones" was
taken back to the coast by BC
Ferries where she continued to
work for many years before being
sold in 1998 to the Dominican
Republic.
In the wake of Arthur Bailey’s
vision in the 1960’s, the "Lequime"
was transformed into the "Fintry
Q
ueen"
to transport travelers and
tourists to the new development
of Fintry Estates. "Art was a
dreamer" said his wife Ingrid,
"and a few years ahead of his
time." The ship was built as a
paddlewheeler to reflect the
sternwheeler tradition on
Okanagan Lake. Ingrid remembers
housing and feeding more than 30
shipwrights for two years while
they converted the vessel on the
beach at Fintry - complete with
multi-colored paddlewheel.
The original Fintry Queen was
all open deck. Passengers were
issued with raincoats for the
first few years. Fortunately
times have changed and today the
ship can carry 325 passengers in
comfort with over 9000 sq ft on
3 decks and 5 distinct function
areas to host multiple events at
the same time.
The enclosed Main Deck is both
heated and air conditioned,
featuring a commercial galley,
an indoor Forward Lounge that
seats 80 and a rear Main Dining
Room with bar and dance floor
for another 120 seated guests.
On the Upper Deck, there is a
sheltered outdoor seating area,
open Sun Deck, barbeque, snack
bar and kids playroom.
The ship has hosted conferences,
banquets and weddings for up to
325 guests, formerly holding a
food liquor license for 280
patrons and a pub license
for
225 passengers, where minors
were permitted. Two fuel
efficient turbo diesel engines
power the ship at an average
cruising speed of 6-8 knots. The
ship was designed as an
all-season ferry with an extra
thick hull for breaking through
the ice and a unique bow shape
that enables her to get close to
shore for landing passengers
using the bow boarding ramp.
Current development plans call
for the construction of new
landing sites in the south end
of Okanagan Lake, in the City of
Penticton adjacent to the
Kiwanis Pier at the foot of Main
St., in the community of
Summerland beside the Heritage
Pier and in Naramata at the old
CNR Wharf. Leases, design,
engineering and environmental
permits are proceeding. Costs to
build shore side facilities,
license and renovate the ship
has been estimated at $600,000.
To initiate the current plan,
the Fintry Queen is looking for
qualified partners or investors
interested to take advantage of
a $600,000 BC tax credit
allocation through the BC
Investment Program. Investors
can receive a 30% BC tax credit
to a maximum of $60,000
(unlimited for corporations)
which can be applied anytime
over the 5 following years. The
sign up deadline for the 2016
tax year is March 1st, 2017.
