The Sicamous and the Naramata: Steamboat Days in the Okanagan

Contributor to newspapers and magazines in Canada, Britain and United States on travel- and transportation themes.

Author: Empress of Britain: Canadian Pacific's greatest ship (Erin: Boston Mills, 1992).

Reviewer for CBRA since 1993.

Robert Turner, who has authored books on Canadian Pacific’s saltwater
ships of British Columbia, turns his attention in this book to Okanagan
Lake. In particular, he writes of two preserved vessels—the Sicamous,
an elegant paddlewheel steamer built in 1914, and the Naramata, a
handsome and powerful steam tug. The 228-foot Sicamous carried
passengers (in considerable style, if not luxury) and cargo between
various Okanagan towns until 1937. The Naramata, also completed in 1914,
remained in service until 1967, frequently pushing bargeloads of
perishable Okanagan fruit to the railheads. Improved roads and expanding
ownership of automobiles helped terminate the careers of both vessels.
Fortunately, they were saved from the wrecker’s ball and restored,
thanks to a combination of volunteer labor and financial grants.

Turner’s skilful, knowledgeable, and affectionate account places the
ships in their historical, social, and economic contexts. The book’s
concise text is complemented by a generous selection of well-reproduced
photographs and some excellent line drawings by the author. The Sicamous
and the Naramata is a fitting memorial to the vessels and their
crews—and to those who ensured the ships’ survival and restoration.