COMMUNITY
A Massive Floating Island Appeared on Williston Reservoir — Then Mysteriously Vanished
A massive floating island estimated at 9,800 square metres was spotted in B.C.’s Williston Reservoir before vanishing from recent satellite imagery.
Unusual Discovery in Northern B.C. Reservoir
A massive, tree-covered land mass recently startled local residents and officials after it was spotted floating in the Williston Reservoir north of Mackenzie. Local resident Rocky Avery obtained video and photographic footage of the island captured by a boater, which quickly gained wide attention after he posted the material online.
“It was a pretty amazing sight to see, never seen anything like that in my 40 years in this country,” said Avery, who shared the footage ahead of a local fishing derby to alert both boaters and utility officials.
Satellite Imagery Confirms Floating Mass
The report initially drew skepticism from B.C. Hydro, given the prevalence of AI-generated content online. “It’s certainly something we’ve not heard of before,” said spokesperson Bob Gammer. “And with not very many people reporting it, it was difficult to locate.”
However, satellite photos taken July 21 verified the object’s existence in the main body of the reservoir, roughly 100 kilometres west of the W.A.C. Bennett Dam and west of Finlay Bay. Measurements indicated the island spanned approximately 70 metres by 140 metres, covering roughly 9,800 square metres—an area comparable to two NFL football fields.
Vanishing Act and Possible Cause
By Aug. 5, updated satellite images revealed that the land mass had disappeared from view. “We’ve been taking more updated snapshots and we can’t see the object anymore. So it’s disappeared now,” Gammer stated. “It doesn’t mean it’s gone to the bottom of the reservoir. It may have returned to a more sheltered area along the shoreline.”
High snowpacks during the winter alongside steady summer rainfall filled the man-made lake—the seventh-largest reservoir globally—to capacity, prompting B.C. Hydro to open spillways at the dam in June and July. Gammer explained that accumulated driftwood over many years likely allowed trees and plants to root along the shore, and high water levels finally detached the mass. “We haven’t had a full reservoir in 14 years,” Gammer noted. “We can’t pinpoint the origin of this floating island [but that’s] one explanation that seems reasonable.”
Local Impacts and Safety Concerns
The record water levels have significantly altered the local environment, washing away sand dunes often used for quad-biking and sweeping extra debris into the lake. “There’s areas we would never even drive a boat on before, and now we’re going up over top of it,” Avery said, warning that choppy water makes floating logs difficult to spot. “Some are full-size trees and it’ll do a lot of damage to your boat. So you got to be super careful.”
While rare for Williston Lake, floating islands occur regularly in dam construction worldwide, such as Wisconsin’s Lake Chippewa and Lake Victoria in Africa. B.C. Hydro does not anticipate operational disruptions but will continue monitoring satellite data for any reappearance of the island, relying in part on public reports to track conditions on the vast reservoir.
BC STORIES
Discover the Hidden Beauty of New Brunswick’s Waterfalls Through Drone and On-the-Ground Video
CBC videographer Roger Cosman explores New Brunswick’s hidden waterfalls using drone and ground footage, with tours including Walton Glen Gorge Falls.
Exploring Provincial Waterfalls
CBC videographer Roger Cosman is traveling across New Brunswick this summer to document the province’s hundreds of natural cascades. His journey relies on drone footage and on-the-ground exploration to capture these often-secluded scenic spots.
Featured Locations and Next Destinations
Cosman’s tour has covered multiple sites, including Pabineau Falls, Sand Brook Falls, Tetagouche Falls, Lepreau Falls, Wallace Falls, Welsford Falls, Little Sheephouse Brook Falls, and Fall Brook Falls. His latest footage highlights Walton Glen Gorge Falls along the Fundy coast, with Fuller Falls scheduled as the next stop on the itinerary.
COMMUNITY
This weekend in Okanagan: Fri 4 — Sun 6 September
29 things to do in Okanagan, Fri 4 — Sun 6 September.
The Okanagan Current · What’s on
This weekend
Fri 4 — Sun 6 September
What’s on between now and Sunday night.
The week at a glance Fri 4 — Sun 6 September
All day First Friday Art Trail Artist Studios, Vernon and Coldstream 8 am Paragliding Fly-In Baldy Mountain Resort, 2680 Mount Baldy Rd British Columbia Oliver, BC V0H 1T0 Canada, Oliver, BC 8 am Ask Me Anything Bartier Bros. Winery, 4821 Ryegrass Road British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T1 Canada, Oliver 11 am The Bread Project Bartier Bros. Winery, 4821 Ryegrass Road British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T1 Canada, Oliver 11:30 am Delicous Oysters Miradoro Restaurant, 537 Tinhorn Creek Rd. British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T1 Canada, Oliver 4 pm Fender Fridays | Show & Shine Gino’s Coffee House, 8316 Main St, Oosyoos 6 pm Friday Night POP ROCK MUSIC BINGO District Wine Village, 100 Enterprise Way British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T0 Canada, Oliver 6:30 pm Cooking Class Dinners Hester Creek Estate Winery, 877 Road 8 · Box 1605 British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T0 Canada, Oliver
8 am Sessions Saturday Ride Sessions Outdoor Sports, 8503 78 Ave, Osoyoos 8 am Pine & Peak Summer Markets Baldy Mountain Resort, 2680 Mount Baldy Rd British Columbia Oliver, BC V0H 1T0 Canada, Oliver, BC 11 am Live Music & Food Truck Saturdays River Stone Estate Winery, 143 Buchanan Drive British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T2 Canada, Oliver 11 am The Bread Project Bartier Bros. Winery, 4821 Ryegrass Road British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T1 Canada, Oliver 11:30 am “Haute” Dog Days Of Summer Blasted Church, 378 Parsons Rd, Okanagan Fallas 11:30 am Delicous Oysters Miradoro Restaurant, 537 Tinhorn Creek Rd. British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T1 Canada, Oliver 12 pm Country Crush Festival Nostalgia Wines, 4900 Black Sage Road British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T1 Canada, Oliver 1 pm Live Music On The Patio Hester Creek Estate Winery, 877 Road 8 · Box 1605 British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T0 Canada, Oliver 2:30 pm The Fates & The Keys Cheek to Cheek Dance Studio 3 pm Oyster Hour Sonora Room Restaurant, 500 Burrowing Owl Pl, Oliver 6 pm Gamay Grooves Domaine Artema Winery, 4078 Black Sage Rd, Oliver 9 pm Evening Treasures Osoyoos Desert Centre, 14580 146 Avenue British Columbia Osoyoos V0H 1V0 Canada, Osoyoos
8 am Pine & Peak Summer Markets Baldy Mountain Resort, 2680 Mount Baldy Rd British Columbia Oliver, BC V0H 1T0 Canada, Oliver, BC 9 am Station Street Market Oliver Lions Park, Station St. British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T0 Canada, Oliver 9 am Sculpt & Sip Sundays District Wine Village, 100 Enterprise Way British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T0 Canada, Oliver 11 am The Bread Project Bartier Bros. Winery, 4821 Ryegrass Road British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T1 Canada, Oliver 11:30 am Delicous Oysters Miradoro Restaurant, 537 Tinhorn Creek Rd. British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T1 Canada, Oliver 1 pm Live Music On The Patio Hester Creek Estate Winery, 877 Road 8 · Box 1605 British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T0 Canada, Oliver 2 pm Sunday Service | Live Music Blasted Church, 378 Parsons Rd, Okanagan Fallas 4 pm Classic Car Cruise-In Nostalgia Wines, 4900 Black Sage Road British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T1 Canada, Oliver 4 pm A Celebration of Harvest Evans Ave, 1243 Evans Ave, Penticton
What’s on 29 events
First Friday Art Trail
- Time
- All day
- Where
- Artist Studios, Vernon and Coldstream
Paragliding Fly-In
- Time
- 8 am
- Where
- Baldy Mountain Resort, 2680 Mount Baldy Rd British Columbia Oliver, BC V0H 1T0 Canada, Oliver, BC
@ Baldy Fly-in Paragliding Event Labour Day weekend is set to be a fun one at Baldy!
Ask Me Anything
- Time
- 8 am
- Where
- Bartier Bros. Winery, 4821 Ryegrass Road British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T1 Canada, Oliver
@ Every Friday, 3–5 PM Join us on the Bartier Bros.
The Bread Project
- Time
- 11 am
- Where
- Bartier Bros. Winery, 4821 Ryegrass Road British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T1 Canada, Oliver
Until May 24, 2026 purchase The Pairing Project Passport for only $99.
Delicous Oysters
- Time
- 11:30 am
- Where
- Miradoro Restaurant, 537 Tinhorn Creek Rd. British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T1 Canada, Oliver
@ September Oysters & Bubbles @ Miradoro $3. 25 oysters! Daily, any amount, until sold out. Lightning Rock sparkling wine feature!
Fender Fridays | Show & Shine
- Time
- 4 pm
- Where
- Gino’s Coffee House, 8316 Main St, Oosyoos
@ EVERY FRIDAY OPEN UNTIL 6pm Love classic cars? Come show yours off! Or just come take a look.
Friday Night POP ROCK MUSIC BINGO
- Time
- 6 pm
- Where
- District Wine Village, 100 Enterprise Way British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T0 Canada, Oliver
@ EVERY FRIDAY THIS SUMMER No
Cooking Class Dinners
- Time
- 6:30 pm
- Where
- Hester Creek Estate Winery, 877 Road 8 · Box 1605 British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T0 Canada, Oliver
@ Join one of only 14 guests seated in our state of the art demonstration kitchen for a locally sourced, seasonally inspired menu skillfully paired with our…
Sessions Saturday Ride
- Time
- 8 am
- Where
- Sessions Outdoor Sports, 8503 78 Ave, Osoyoos
@ Join Sesssions Outdoor Sports on the Saturday Rides.
Pine & Peak Summer Markets
- Time
- 8 am
- Where
- Baldy Mountain Resort, 2680 Mount Baldy Rd British Columbia Oliver, BC V0H 1T0 Canada, Oliver, BC
@ Pine and Peak Summer Artisan Markets (Looking for Vendors) Dates: June 27th, August 1st, September 5th & 6th, October 3rd Introducing the Pine and Peak…
Live Music & Food Truck Saturdays
- Time
- 11 am
- Where
- River Stone Estate Winery, 143 Buchanan Drive British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T2 Canada, Oliver
@ Join us at River Stone Estate Winery from mid-June through mid-September for laid-back afternoons filled with great wine, live tunes, and tasty bites.
The Bread Project
- Time
- 11 am
- Where
- Bartier Bros. Winery, 4821 Ryegrass Road British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T1 Canada, Oliver
Until May 24, 2026 purchase The Pairing Project Passport for only $99.
“Haute” Dog Days Of Summer
- Time
- 11:30 am
- Where
- Blasted Church, 378 Parsons Rd, Okanagan Fallas
@ Chef John Burke is ready to grill! No need to confess: we know you dream of Chef’s Haute Dogs all year long!
Delicous Oysters
- Time
- 11:30 am
- Where
- Miradoro Restaurant, 537 Tinhorn Creek Rd. British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T1 Canada, Oliver
@ September Oysters & Bubbles @ Miradoro $3. 25 oysters! Daily, any amount, until sold out. Lightning Rock sparkling wine feature!
Country Crush Festival
- Time
- 12 pm
- Where
- Nostalgia Wines, 4900 Black Sage Road British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T1 Canada, Oliver
@ 9th Annual Country Crush Festival Saturday, September 5th Winery open: 10am–7pm | Event: 12pm–5pm Nostalgia Wines, 4900 Black Sage Road, Oliver, BC Boots…
Live Music On The Patio
- Time
- 1 pm
- Where
- Hester Creek Estate Winery, 877 Road 8 · Box 1605 British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T0 Canada, Oliver
@ Every weekend in the summer we host local musicians live on the patio at the Wine Shop from May to October and celebrate the incredible talent coming out of…
Oyster Hour
- Time
- 3 pm
- Where
- Sonora Room Restaurant, 500 Burrowing Owl Pl, Oliver
@ Every Saturday & Sunday, 3:00 – 4:30 pm It is the perfect piece of a summer weekend to relax in the sun while enjoying the briny deliciousness of fresh…
Gamay Grooves
- Time
- 6 pm
- Where
- Domaine Artema Winery, 4078 Black Sage Rd, Oliver
@ Get ready to turn up the summer vibes at Gamay Grooves , a lively outdoor music series at Domaine Artema Winery.
Evening Treasures
- Time
- 9 pm
- Where
- Osoyoos Desert Centre, 14580 146 Avenue British Columbia Osoyoos V0H 1V0 Canada, Osoyoos
@ Cacthy the ringed ebauty Saturn along with various clusters and nebulae through John’s 8-Inch mirrir reflecting telescope.
Pine & Peak Summer Markets
- Time
- 8 am
- Where
- Baldy Mountain Resort, 2680 Mount Baldy Rd British Columbia Oliver, BC V0H 1T0 Canada, Oliver, BC
@ Pine and Peak Summer Artisan Markets (Looking for Vendors) Dates: June 27th, August 1st, September 5th & 6th, October 3rd Introducing the Pine and Peak…
Station Street Market
- Time
- 9 am
- Where
- Oliver Lions Park, Station St. British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T0 Canada, Oliver
@ The Station Street Market is located in between the Visitor Information Centre and the Coast Hotel in the beautiful grass area just off Station Street.
Sculpt & Sip Sundays
- Time
- 9 am
- Where
- District Wine Village, 100 Enterprise Way British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T0 Canada, Oliver
Strong bodies. Sunny vibes. Sunday tradition.
The Bread Project
- Time
- 11 am
- Where
- Bartier Bros. Winery, 4821 Ryegrass Road British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T1 Canada, Oliver
Until May 24, 2026 purchase The Pairing Project Passport for only $99.
Delicous Oysters
- Time
- 11:30 am
- Where
- Miradoro Restaurant, 537 Tinhorn Creek Rd. British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T1 Canada, Oliver
@ September Oysters & Bubbles @ Miradoro $3. 25 oysters! Daily, any amount, until sold out. Lightning Rock sparkling wine feature!
Live Music On The Patio
- Time
- 1 pm
- Where
- Hester Creek Estate Winery, 877 Road 8 · Box 1605 British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T0 Canada, Oliver
@ Every weekend in the summer we host local musicians live on the patio at the Wine Shop from May to October and celebrate the incredible talent coming out of…
Sunday Service | Live Music
- Time
- 2 pm
- Where
- Blasted Church, 378 Parsons Rd, Okanagan Fallas
@ Live Music on the Patio all season Confess your love for great wine and live music by coming to Blasted Church on Sunday!
Classic Car Cruise-In
- Time
- 4 pm
- Where
- Nostalgia Wines, 4900 Black Sage Road British Columbia Oliver V0H 1T1 Canada, Oliver
@ Every Sunday from 4pm-7pm May 17th-Sept 27th we invite the hot rod, classic car, supercar and show car community to swing on by our lounge to show off your…
A Celebration of Harvest
- Time
- 4 pm
- Where
- Evans Ave, 1243 Evans Ave, Penticton
@ Sip, chat, and celebrate our single vineyard series wines in a beautiful vineyard setting with canapés, live music and Gneiss wines.
Also coming up 8 of 66
- Mon, Sep 7 The Bread Project
- Mon, Sep 7 Delicous Oysters
- Mon, Sep 7 Blind Tastings
- Mon, Sep 7 Randy’s Cheeseburger Picnic Comedy Tour
- Tue, Sep 8 Regular Council Meeting – 6:00 p.m.
- Tue, Sep 8 Band Council Meeting
- Tue, Sep 8 Root & Ritual
- Tue, Sep 8 The Bread Project
Dates and names only — we confirm the details with each organiser in the edition that runs them.
Running something? Get it in front of your neighbours.
The Okanagan Current publishes this every week for readers looking for something to do. Listing is free, and what you send us is what runs — so check the details before you send them. Or post it to your municipal calendar and we will find it.
COMMUNITY
Why Nanaimo Residents May See a Future RCMP Police Dog Around Town
Four-month-old German shepherd puppy Basko has arrived in Nanaimo to begin one to two years of RCMP police dog training following a proud family lineage.
A New Generation of Police Dog Begins Training
Nanaimo residents may notice a four-month-old German shepherd named Basko exploring local sights as he takes his first steps toward a potential career with the RCMP. Born at the RCMP Police Dog Service Training Centre in Innisfail, Alberta, the young puppy recently arrived in the community to start a rigorous development process lasting one to two years.
Supervised by RCMP Const. Jordan Braid, Basko will live with a specially chosen imprinter — an officer dedicated to raising and socializing future police dogs from puppyhood. While residing as part of the imprinter’s household, Basko’s daily routine will focus on socialization, building confidence, and exposure to various environments, people, noises, and animals. Evaluators will assess his progress every three to four months to determine if he meets the force’s strict operational standards.
A Lineage of Service and Sacrifice
Basko carries strong service credentials in his lineage. His father, Neon, serves in Nanaimo alongside Braid, while his grandfather, Jago, died in the line of duty in 2021 during a manhunt near High Prairie, Alberta. Jago was shot while protecting his handler and fellow officers, prompting High Prairie officials to lower flags to half-mast in his honor. Coverage from outlets including the Kelowna Capital News, Penticton Western News, Tofino-Ucluelet Westerly News, and Vernon Morning Star also highlighted that Jago was killed while on duty in Alberta.
Braid noted that while Basko comes from a strong lineage, his ultimate placement remains uncertain. There is no guarantee he will complete the full program in Nanaimo or join the local detachment alongside Neon, as final assignments depend on successful graduation and operational needs across the country.
Why the RCMP Only Uses German Shepherds
Unlike some police services that train various breeds, the RCMP relies exclusively on German shepherds. The national police force maintains its own breeding program, which Braid explained helps control expenses while selectively breeding out health issues and unwanted traits.
Braid added that the breed is exceptionally loyal, highly intelligent, and hard-working. German shepherds are capable of signaling handlers when injured or fatigued, and their versatile coats allow them to adapt easily to diverse climates across Canada.
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