English Bay Barge shipping off soon, City of Vancouver says

Deconstruction of the English Bay Barge is nearing completion.

The City of Vancouver says the hull of the barge is expected to be demolished by the end of next week.

"Weather permitting, the next steps will include pile removal, site cleanup and equipment removal," the city said in a statement.

The barge washed up on the shore during destructive storms almost one year ago.

It defied all efforts to be dislodged and ultimately had to be torn apart.

The Park Board cheekily and unofficially renamed that part of Sunset Beach "Barge Chilling Beach" in December 2021. That led to outcry about why a sign for a stranded barge was approved so quickly when official parks across the city still don't have signs bearing their original Indigenous names.

Barge aficionado and accordion player Adam Faber ofTotal Removal of Barge fameon Twitter says the barge hasplayed a big part in the public consciousness and somehow a sense of community has developed around it.

"Maybe we're just locked up in our houses and a little too bored," he mused to On The Coast host Gloria Macarenko.

"I would auction off those barge parts for a good cause, right? There'd be people all over this."

The city says further updates will be shared in coming weeks.