Kelowna Yacht Club receives accolades for marine conservation

That Kelowna has an exceptional yacht club is well-known, but now it can add some impressive new accolades and hopes others on the water will follow suit.

The club is the first freshwater marina in the province to achieve a five-anchor rating, the highest ranking from Clean Marine BC, run by Georgia Strait Alliance, a non-profit marine conservation organization. It gives independent audits of boating facilities measuring operational practices and initiatives with an environmental lens. The yacht club had already attained a four- anchor rating back in 2019.

The Kelowna Yacht Club (KYC) is also the first to be certified in the Interior by the voluntary eco-certification program for marinas, harbour authorities, yacht clubs, and boatyards.

“For us, it’s a real milestone,” Executive Director Thom Killingsworth told Kelowna10. “We always want to preface it by saying we still have a long way to go, but it started five years ago when our board of directors, members and colleagues told us we need to do more from an environmental perspective.”

Since then, KYC has concentrated on improving areas including: docks that are clean and well maintained with ongoing creosote pilings replacement with steel; spill protection kits that are visible and well placed; and mandatory holding tanks, with a complimentary sewage pump out facility available.

Also, the clubhouse restaurant, café and overall operations follow environmentally sound practices; and there’s extensive onsite waste management system and recycling collection.

“There’s a lot you can do to make sure you leave the lake the way you found it or better, and that’s the goal," Killingsworth explained, "whether it’s just maintaining your boat, the products you use, how you dispose of certain products on your boat, how you maintain the dock, and the recycling programming.”

The club’s seriousness about measurable annual improvements was highlighted by their appointment of an Environmental & Sustainability Coordinator, Brenda Cortes.

She focuses on working with each department to improve practices and find opportunities for growth and thinks it’s important KYC is the first in the Interior to be eco-certified.

“It’s great because it encourages other marinas to follow our lead and at some point maybe partner with us to do the best for Okanagan Lake,” Cortes said.

“We just remind everybody that small actions are big steps, so I think everybody has their own work to do so we can achieve something good for the environment.”