Houseboats moored in Gellatly Bay could be towed out of the lake today as West Kelowna follows through on a pledge to clear the area of the unwanted watercraft.
A 30-day period for houseboat owners to voluntarily remove the vessels at their own expense ended at midnight Thursday.
District of West Kelowna spokesperson Kirsten Jones said earlier Thursday it was the municipality‘s hope the owners of the half-dozen houseboats remaining in the bay would shift their craft.
But she said the municipality was prepared to initiate removal actions immediately for any houseboats that remain in the area today.
In late June, West Kelowna received a licence of occupation from Victoria, giving the municipality jurisdiction over a portion of Gellatly Bay.
The licence had been sought as a way of providing the municipality with the legal means to order the removal of the houseboats, considered by some as an eyesore and possible environmental hazard.
"Gellaty Bay is basically like the front yard of our municipality," West Kelowna Mayor Doug Findlater said at the time. "It‘s not appropriate to have houseboats moored in there, and there are concerns about possible leaks of sewage and fuel into the water."
The number of houseboats moored in Gellatly Bay began to rise in 2008, particularly after the City of Kelowna issued removal orders to the owners of vessels that had been floating in a city-owned water lot off Sutherland Park in the downtown north end. Top of Page
