The SS Sicamous’ maiden voyage was May 19, 1914.

She will turn 110 years old on May 19, 2024!

The S.S. part stands for steam ship.

Why is it called the “Sicamous” when it is in Penticton though? That’s a really good question. The company that built the ship (the Canadian Pacific Railway CPR) had a tradition of naming the ships after the communities they served. The city of Sicamous (3 hours north) was once home to a very large, very busy CPR railway station. We think this station is the name sake of our little boat.

Fun Fact: the CPR also launched an SS Kelowna, SS Naramata, SS York, SS Okanagan, SS Slocan, SS Kootenay, SS Moyie and SS Revelstoke too!

The ship being preserved in its original state was actually a condition of its purchase from Canadian Pacific. CP would rather dismantle or destroy the ship than have it used for commercial purposes.

The ship used to be the location for the Penticton Museum before it had its own building (1958-1965). After the Penticton Museum left the ship it was unfortunately used for commercial purposes against CP’s wishes, housing a few restaurants and even a wax museum!

This all changed in 1988 when the SS Sicamous Restoration Society was formed to restore the ship to its former glory and open it up as a museum for future generations to learn about the early days of the Okanagan and the role that the Sicamous and other steamships played in the development of the Okanagan Valley.

The Sicamous docked in Penticton each night, and departed from here each morning, so local residents always considered the ship their own.

While the vessel was tied up at the ship yards there were rumours of other buyers but these all fell through. In 1949 the City of Penticton was approached by the Penticton Gyro Club, who wanted to use the ship as their club house. Together they arranged to purchase the ship from Canadian Pacific. She was towed back home to Penticton on a wet and windy day in August of 1951.

Since its launch in 1914, the ship has remained on Okanagan Lake.

During its years in service it travelled daily (except Sunday) from Penticton to Okanagan Landing and back, making stops along the way.

The ship was in service for 22 years. She was launched on May 19, 1914, and had her final run in 1936.

The steel hull and boiler were actually built in Eastern Canada (in Thunder Bay, Ontario). The hull was transported across Canada by 17 rail cars, and then put together at the Okanagan Landing Ship Yards (at the north of Okanagan Lake) by a team of 150 men. Ship yard workers then began carving the upper decks from imported wood.

The Sicamous has been in the Okanagan ever since her launch in 1914

Like ships today, the Sicamous had to be registered. At the turn of the 20th century, the port of registry was Victoria, so this was proudly written in gold paint on the back of the paddle wheel.

Fun Fact: When the Sicamous was launched a mistake was made, and Vancouver was accidentally written. It was repainted soon after the launch.

The Sicamous could reach top speeds of 18 knots (33.8 kmph/21 mph)!

The engines were powered by steam from a coal powered boiler. To reach these speeds, the boiler burned up to 17 tons of coal each day. All this coal had to be shovelled by hand. Water was sucked up from the lake, and turned to steam by the heat of the fire. If you visit the ship you can see the pokers, shovels and rakes that they would have used.

When the ship was first launched the Sicamous could officially carry up to 500 people at a time. There were 30 rooms for overnight stays, and a total of 5 levels. After alterations to the ship in 1935, the maximum number of guests was reduced to 260.

How many people worked on the ship?

When first in service the Sicamous had a crew of 31-33 staff, plus one mail room clerk, and two express room clerks. Room and board was included with the wages.