Okanagan Real Estate Blog

The SS Sicamous is the largest, and now fully restored, stern wheeler in British Columbia. It is open for public tours throughout various times during the year. It’s located in Penticton in British Columbia. The SS Sicamous is part of the SS Sicamous Heritage Society, a non-profit organization in the area. Their goal is preserve the history of steam boats, the crews and the people that relied on them. Here is a look at the SS Sicamous and what you can experience visiting it.

The Story Behind the SS Sicamous Stern Wheeler

The SS Sicamous was a luxury class passenger vessel that had launched back in 1914 on Okanagan Lake. It was used to transport cargo and passengers to different communities along the shores of this lake. The vessel worked for 22 years until it was retired and tied up to the ship yards at Okanagan Landing.

Today, the ship is still in use and is operated by the SS Sicamous Marine Heritage Society along with the city of Penticton. The Canadian Pacific Rail was the original owners and the vessel was part of a network of travel around the country. Ships like this are all over Canada but this is one of the last surviving that is now a reminder of the area’s cultural heritage.  

The City of Penticton decided to purchase the Sicamous in 1951 and brought to the area. It was placed into a trench and filled to keep the vessel in place.  Since then it’s been used as a host for businesses like restaurants and a wax museum. Finally, people realized the ship needed major restoration to survive.

The SS Sicamous Heritage Society

The Society decided to begin restoration in 1988 to get it back to its former glory. Much has been replaced or repaired and now the Society is operated by volunteers. They’ve since added more lake vessels to their care in the past years.

Visiting

Visitors can now tour the Sicamous and experience the glory of it first-hand. It’s actually become a beautiful location for wedding ceremonies and receptions at Okanagan Lake. Tours of the ship have become a top five attraction on TripAdvisor thanks to being a family-fun attraction.

You can run around the decks, watch the model railway, see the cabins and the luxury. The ship is located on Sunset Strip on Okanagan Lake at 1099 Lakeshore Drive West. They are closed for the winter but you can still enjoy a private tour.

Don’t miss this incredible piece of history in Okanagan.