View of the English Bay Barge from the seawall

Barge deconstruction and removal set to begin

June 29 2022 –

This week, local firm Vancouver Pile Driving Ltd (VanPile) will begin the much-anticipated process of removing the barge, starting with the installation of safety barriers and fences. 

The next stage of work will include additional site preparation and the installation of temporary piles to secure the barge. Once completed, deconstruction of the barge will begin, which includes the removal of the barge walls and hulls in sections. All material will be loaded onto support barges and hauled away by sea to a staging area to be processed and recycled. 

The work will have minimal impact to park activities and is expected to take approximately 12 to 15 weeks to complete once deconstruction has begun. The seawall will remain open during this time, and there will be no impact to traffic or parking in the area. 

During this process residents and visitors can expect:

  • Work hours will typically be Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 5:30pm
  • Periods of noise
  • All work will comply with City of Vancouver noise by-laws and will be monitored

The barge removal has been carefully planned in consultation with industry experts, partners and First Nation groups. Hazardous material, archeological and structural assessments have been completed to ensure the sensitive marine environment is protected.

For updates and more information as work progresses visit VanPile’s project website englishbaybarge.ca

Background

The barge became stranded at Sunset Beach during a windstorm on November 15, 2021, and initial efforts to remove it were unsuccessful. Local firm Vancouver Pile Driving Ltd. (VanPile) was contracted by the barge owner’s representative to carry out the barge’s deconstruction and removal. A detailed structural assessment of the vessel subsequently took place and engineers determined that refloating the barge wasn’t possible. A variety of government agencies have been supporting this process over the last few months to ensure the barge could be dismantled and removed safely.