War canoe races added to Peachfest activities

PENTICTON – Thanks to the restorative efforts of the Penticton Museum and Archives, volunteers and school groups, an Okanagan tradition is being revived for the second year in a row.

The Ogopogo War Canoe Regatta will be taking place during the Penticton Peach Festival this year, the city announced in a press release.

The second annual war canoe regatta is part of the Penticton Museum and Archives SteamFest celebrations, and was first held last year to commemorate earlier regattas and showcase the museum’s two piece collection of war canoes.

The event is part of a long history of Penticton regattas. In pioneer days lakeside communities in the Okanagan often organized a variety of regatta events to celebrate their status as waterfront communities.

This year’s war canoe race will be coordinated by Lyndie Hill of Hoodoo Adventures.

“We’re very excited to be a part of the second annual SteamFest Regatta and had an absolute blast last year not only coordinating the event but competing in it,” she says, adding there will be a dozen kayaks for kids to race, standup paddleboards available and a barbecue fundraiser as well.

The races get underway at 2 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 8, on the lakefront opposite Lakawanna Park. To register a team for war canoe racing, see the this link.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.