The Prairie Lily kicks off 13th season on the South Sask. River

A Saskatoon summer staple is ready to set sail.

Mike Steckhan is captain of The Prairie Lily, the white and red riverboat that can be seen gliding up and down the South Saskatchewan River each summer.

The Prairie Lily was built in 1989 in La Crosse, Wisconsin. In 2012, the ship was purchased by Prairie River Cruises and moved to Saskatoon.

The 120-passenger ship will take its first voyage of the 2024 season on Friday.

The depth of the water in the river varies from year to year, and Steckhan said the 107 gross ton ship was made specifically for that type of waterway.

“It’s a riverboat. It’s designed to be floating in shallow water, even though it’s very big and very heavy. It’s very flat bottomed and designed for rivers,” he said.

While the boat was specifically designed to operate in shallow water, navigating the large vessel in the river doesn’t come without challenges.

“It does get very tight, and the river has been getting smaller the last four years,” Steckhan said. “So the valley gets smaller along with it, which is why you see all the sandbars appearing. But there’s still a stream there and we can still operate.”

Although the Prairie Lily offers a smooth ride along the channel of the South Saskatchewan, Steckhan said a handful of people have been seasick while aboard.

“Over all of the years we’ve been operating, we’ve had one or two,” he said with a laugh. “I find it quite amazing, because most of the time you can’t tell it’s moving unless you see the trees going by on the riverbank.

The 107 gross ton ship was specifically designed for navigating riverbeds. The flat bottom allows the ship to glide effortlessly through shallow water. (The Prairie Lily/Facebook)

Over the years Steckhan has expressed concern after some close calls with others on the water.

“Safety is our number one concern. Not only our own safety and our passengers, but also the safety of other river users too. We do worry about things like that, and we do watch out,” he said.

“The people who use the river on a regular basis, we get along very well with. They know where we are going, and we know where they are going, and everybody stays out of each other’s way. It’s great,” Steckhan said.

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“It’s the odd person who doesn’t know what’s going on that comes in and isn’t really paying attention and is just out having a good time. They don’t realize that what they are doing affects everyone else too.”

The company has been vocal about the need for caution on the river, and has done its part to ensure others are aware of the dangers that can be associated with getting too close to the large ship.

“There’s been a lot of education go out there,” Steckhan said. “We sponsor river safety meetings every year.”

The Prairie Lily dock is located on the river bank near Spadina Crescent East. The ship offers a variety of sightseeing and dining cruises from May to September.