The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation has renamed a section of beach along the seawall after the barge that drifted there during last month’s floods.
On Tuesday, it erected the new ‘Barge Chilling Beach’ sign on the shoreline in front of the vessel, which has not yet been towed away due to “technical difficulties.”
“We thought at the park board we’d try and make the best of a bad situation and add a little bit of fun to it,” said Stuart Mackinnon, chair of the Vancouver Park Board.
“This is as a result of all of the interest from the residents of Vancouver and this is a way of the park board saying, ‘Happy holidays, have some fun, be safe.'”
The barge has been somewhat of a sensation in Vancouver since it crashed into the seawall near Sunset Beach on Nov. 15 amid record-breaking rainfall.
Countless people have taken photos next to it and it has inspired both memes, swag and calls to become a permanent feature of the landscape.
The park board’s tweet introducing Barge Chilling Beach prompted some speculation that the sign was fake, but Mackinnon confirmed Tuesday the name change is real, but temporary.
“We really hope someone doesn’t take it,” he said. “This is a gift to the residents of Vancouver hoping to make a bad situation better.”
It’s unclear when the park board will remove the sign, just as it’s unclear when the barge itself will be removed from the shoreline. Previous attempts have failed.
Transport Canada has asked the barge’s owner, Sentry Marine Towing, for a detailed removal plan and a timeframe.
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