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‘Move your junk’: Another boat dumped on Okanagan road

A sailboat was left on the side of Highway 33 near Kelowna
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Boat dumped on Highway 33. (Contributed/Dustin Siewert)

It appears Okanagan residents are slightly confused about where boats belong as of late.

On Monday (Dec. 5), a boat, filled with snow and garbage, was dumped in the middle of Bedford Road in East Kelowna. After reports of this boat blocking a road made headlines, people took to social media to complain of yet another dumped vessel, this time left on the side of Highway 33.

According to Dustin Siewert, the boat had been left in the Joe Rich area near the hairpin on Highway 33 for about three weeks.

Siewert said social media reports claimed that the boat had been posted for sale on Facebook, but quickly the post was changed to a free boat if someone took it away. It’s believed the owner of the boat moved from the area and someone else hauled up Highway 33 past Goudie Road and left it.

Siewert said he had been calling government authorities for several days asking if the boat could be towed away, thinking it might be a safety issue as it was left on the side of the road.

Both the City of Kelowna and the Regional District of Central Okanagan claimed the boat was left outside of the boundary area and was the responsibility of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.

In the meantime, someone has spray painted “move your junk” on the side of the boat.

However, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure stated it is aware of the boat and believed it to be well off the highway and not a safety concern.

“Removal requires a specific type of vehicle that is not available from the towing company until Friday (Dec. 9). The removal is scheduled for this Friday and is not anticipated to cause any traffic delays,” said MOTI.

The vessel left on Bedford Road was towed from East Kelowna later the same day.

READ MORE: Former Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran charged with sexual assault


@Jen_zee
jen.zielinski@bpdigital.ca

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Jen Zielinski

About the Author: Jen Zielinski

Graduated from the broadcast journalism program at BCIT. Also holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science and sociology from Thompson Rivers University.
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