As a rockslide keeps Highway 97 north of Summerland closed, a water taxi service has been launched to fill the void.
A brand-new boat service is planning to take impacted travellers on a ride this Labour Day weekend down Okanagan Lake, from Peachland to Summerland, starting Friday morning, Sept. 1.
鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to save our (tourism) season,鈥� said Calvin Barr, who鈥檚 owned Luxury Lake Tours for eight years. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a double-edged thing鈥e鈥檙e trying to make a couple of dollars but we鈥檙e also trying to help people.鈥�
After sharing his idea on social media, Barr heard back from car dealerships, wedding attendees and people at the Kelowna airport within a matter of hours.
Everyone has their own story but they all share the common ground in needing to get around the Okanagan, he added.
Barr says one of his three boats will leave the Pentowna Marina in Peachland and make its way to Summerland, transporting people past the site of the rockslide. His first trip is set to begin Friday between 7 and 8 a.m., with a return ride scheduled at 5 p.m.
He plans on offering multiple rides a day through the long weekend.
Up to 12 people can fit on one boat and trips will take about 40 minutes.
鈥淚f the demand is there, we鈥檒l keep adding trips and I鈥檓 thinking this is really going to ramp up after this weekend if the road is still closed,鈥� said Barr, adding that he already has insurance, licensed captains ready to make his vision a reality.
Roundtrip rides cost $75 per person, with one-way trips going for $50.
Highway 97 between Peachland and Summerland has been closed since Monday, Aug. 28 and will remain closed throughout the Labour Day long weekend because of a rockslide. The damage from the slide is blocking the highway between Callan Road and Okanagan Lake Provincial Park for 1.6 kilometres.
Four properties within the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen remain under evacuation alert, due to its threat.
The Ministry of Transportation said Wednesday that a geotechnical assessment has identified further risk of rockfall, hence why the stretch of highway won鈥檛 be reopening before Labour Day.
Above all reasons for launching the service, Barr says traveller safety remains his No. 1 priority.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to put people in an unsafe spot,鈥� the West Kelowna resident said.
鈥淚 care about my community and would love to help where I can.鈥�
People interested in booking spots on Barr鈥檚 water taxi are asked to contact
logan.lockhart@pentictonwesternnews.com
