English Bay’s barge was broken and taken apart

According to its owner, the barge that has run aground on Vancouver’s Sunset Beach since it ran aground during a powerful storm in November will be broken up into pieces for relocation.

The barge broke its mooring line amid fierce winds on November 15, part of a similar storm that devastated BC highways and flooded communities in the Fraser Valley and the Southern Interior.

Sentry Marine Towing said it is still awaiting permits and approvals from multiple entities, including the City of Vancouver, Vancouver Parks Council, WorkSafeBC and local First Nations, but hopes to begin operations. within the next 30 days.

The company says a team of contractors will then begin cutting the barge into smaller pieces, which will slowly be carried out to sea on a flat barge.

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That job can take 45 to 60 days.

The company said the decision to split the barge into pieces was based on risk. The cost to refit or reduce it is about the same, but a refit attempt comes with the risk that the barge could sink.

The company says it has taken extensive precautions to protect against environmental damage, including assessments with environmental consultants, testing of paint toxicity on barges and implementation of other measures. plan to prevent any dust, debris or spillage during work.

The area around the barge will be fenced off during the work.

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Attempts to remove barge that ran aground on Vancouver’s Sunset Beach have failed

Global News requested comment from the City of Vancouver.

Since running aground, the barge has become a popular destination for both locals and tourists, as well as a selfie spot.

Last month, Vancouver Parks Council removed a temporary, cheeky sign that reads the beach’s name “Cooling Barge Beach,” a nod to the city’s other iconic parody.Dude Chilling ParkAt Mount Pleasant’s Guelph Park.

The sign has repeatedly been smeared with the beach’s name in the Squamish language, “Í7iy̓el̓shn,” and some Indigenous advocates say the increased speed of the parody sign shows how slow Vancouver has been when adding native names to city locations.