$600,000 bill for spring flood damage on Okanagan Lake in Penticton

PENTICTON – The City of Penticton has assessed the spring flood damage along the Okanagan Lake shoreline and is anxious to get started with repair work.

The estimated cost of the repairs is more than $620,000 with the province picking up roughly half the tab from its emergency fund, according to a staff report going to city council at today's regular meeting, Oct. 17.

City engineer Ian Chapman says in the report the city's portion of the cost, between approximately $232,000 and $309,000, will be spread over the 2017 and 2018 budgets.

Repairs to the Kiwanis Pier, which was heavily damaged in the flooding, was insured and isn’t expected to put the city out of pocket more than $2,000, but will take until 2019 for full repairs to be made.

Chapman is asking council to authorize spending $50,000 for design work and permitting for repair of the city’s sheet pile wall and installation of eroded beach sand, and over $110,000 to proceed with minor design and approval projects.

The staff report focuses on seven key areas along the Okanagan lakeshore including:

  • Repair of paver walkways
  • Repairs to Yacht Club asphalt
  • Damage to retaining walls
  • Issues stemming from the floating and subsequent change in elevation of the SS Sicamous
  • Repair of the city’s steel piled sheet wall
  • Replacement of lost sand
  • Kiwanis Pier repairs

Chapman says early approval is needed to allow staff time to put together preliminary cost estimates and begin design work, in addition to getting started with the approval permit process.


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Steve Arstad

I have been looking for news in the South Okanagan - SImilkameen for 20 years, having turned a part time lifelong interest into a full time profession. After five years publishing a local newsletter, several years working as a correspondent / stringer for several local newspapers and seven years as editor of a Similkameen weekly newspaper, I joined iNFOnews.ca in 2014. My goal in the news industry has always been to deliver accurate and interesting articles about local people and places. My interest in the profession is life long - from my earliest memories of grade school, I have enjoyed writing.
As an airborne geophysical surveyor I travelled extensively around the globe, conducting helicopter borne mineral surveys.
I also spent several years at an Okanagan Falls based lumber mill, producing glued-wood laminated products.
As a member of the Kaleden community, I have been involved in the Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years, and also serve as a trustee on the Kaleden Irrigation District board.
I am currently married to my wife Judy, of 26 years. We are empty-nesters who enjoy living in Kaleden with our Welsh Terrier, Angus, and cat, Tibbs.
Our two daughters, Meagan and Hayley, reside in Richmond and Victoria, respectively.

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