The upcoming water release from Lake Diefenbaker means the Prairie Lily will be likely able to set sail again after a week of being docked.

Captain Mike Steckhan stated that about a week ago, the Water Security Agency slowed the flow to the South Saskatchewan River, leading to voyages being cancelled. Customers with booked cruises in that time frame were either given a refund, a gift card, or had their trip rescheduled.

Steckhan says the WSA’s decision came with little notice.

“Generally, they’ve been very good. There’s the 10-day forecast they come out with regularly and in the past, they’ve been pretty good about dropping us a note saying this is going to happen and ‘this is our plan’. Just this particular one time somebody dropped the ball somewhere.”

After the recent rainfalls in Alberta, the WSA has plans to increase water flows on Sunday. Steckhan says the water should reach Saskatoon by Tuesday, meaning cruises can, hopefully, continue uninterrupted for the rest of the year. 

Steckhan adds that after last season’s low water levels prevented boats from leaving the dock entirely, there is still some pent-up demand. The captain is advising the public to book tickets on their website as soon as possible if they want to secure a spot.

As soon as they’re certain that business can return to normal, Steckhan says a notice will be posted publicly.