Electric on the water
Steve MacNaull, 250-470-0767
The first of five hand-built plug-in electric boats from Kelowna-based Templar Marine has been launched.
The 26-foot Templar Cruiser is aimed at North American pleasure craft buyers who love both boating and the planet.
As a 100 per cent electric boat, it’s eco-friendly, quiet and maintenance-free for year-round boating because it doesn’t need to be winterized becajse it has no internal combustion engine and no fuel tank.
As an electric cruiser, it is definitely not a go-fast boat.
With a top speed around
14 km/h, the boat is meant for lounging, stopping for a swim or spending overnight in the bow accommodation.
The cruiser can be operated open or fully-enclosed, has central heating, fridge, bathroom and swim platform.
“Templar Marine is poised to become the ‘Tesla on the water,’ providing plug-in electric pleasure crafts for the consumer and commerical market,” said Templar founder and CEO Mark Fry.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled with the release of our first model and proud of our team, who has hand-built the Cruiser 26, taking it from prototype to completion in under a year.”
Templar will soon add sedan, water taxi, ambulatory care and light-cargo models.
In April, while the cruiser was still a prototype, the cost was estimated to be $110,000.
The company now prefers not to release the price and suggests potential buyers make contact via TemplarMarine.com.
Rapid growth
Four Kelowna companies have made Canadian Business Magazine’s lists of the fastest-growing companies in the country.
On Canada’s Growth 500 list, Highstreet Ventures was
No. 70 with five-year growth of 1,260 per cent; Border Plumbing, Heating & Air was No. 371 with 160 per cent growth; and software maker Core Health Technologies was No. 448 with 119 per cent growth.
No. 1 on the list was Vancouver retailer Article with 56,581 per cent growth over five years.
Highstreet develops housing complexes throughout Western Canada, including the 288-apartment Mission Flats commuinity on KLO Road and the 240-apartment Carrington Ridge complex in West Kelowna.
5 Point Operations was
No. 44 on the separate top 50 list of start-up companies with five-year growth of 338 per cent.
5 Point does construction and maintenance work in B.C. and Alberta for clients such as the City of Kelowna, Home Depot and Shell.
Title sponsor
The annual 2.1-kilometre crossing of Okanagan Lake from West Harbour to Kelowna’s City Park is July 20 this year.
The Across the Lake Swim Society, with the help of Interior Savings, also helps fund free swimming lessons for every Grade 3 student in the Central Okanagan School District.
“Even with its success on the global stage, it continues to be a truly iconic local event vested in community betterment,” said Interior’s CEO Kathy Conway. email: steve.macnaull@ok.bc.ca