Vancouver City Council says Vancouver Pile Driving Ltd. (VanPile), the company with which it agreed to dismantle and remove the empty boat, will start working in English Bay this week. The barge ran aground on November 15 due to strong winds, rough seas and tides. After attempts to restore the barge failed, an attachment was made to the site. “The removal of the barge has been carefully planned in consultation with industry experts, partners and First Nation teams,” the city said in a statement. “Hazardous materials, archaeological and structural assessments have been completed to ensure the protection of the sensitive marine environment.” In the coming days, VanPile will install security fences and fences around the area. The next stage includes additional preparation of the space and the installation of temporary piles for fixing the barge. Vancouver Park’s board posted a sign near the barge that ran aground near Sunset Beach during the Nov. 15 storms, renaming it Barge Chilling Beach – a brazen reference to Dude Chilling Park. (Ben Nelms / CBC) The walls and hull of the boat will then be removed in sections. Everything will be loaded on support barges and sent to a stopping area, where they will be treated and recycled. Last December, Vancouver Park Council gave the city a “holiday gift” by temporarily placing a sign renaming the Barge Chilling Beach area. The city says the project should have “minimal impact” on the park’s activities, although residents and visitors can expect noise periods Monday through Friday between 7:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Once decomposition begins, the rest of the removal process is expected to take 12 to 15 weeks.
