Missing owners, missing permits: VPD grapples with problem boats in False Creek

Vancouver police say they are stepping up enforcement of derelict and illegal liveaboard vessels in False Creek.

Const. Darin McDougall told Global News Friday that under an agreement with Transport Canada, police have helped remove a dozen boats so far this year and are pursuing 11 more.

But the problem, which has plagued the waterway for decades, remains complex and difficult to solve, McDougall said.

“Right now we’re just going after people that are illegally anchoring boats in False Creek because they don’t have anywhere else to put them,” he said.

“A lot of the boats have been abandoned for a long time. Our problem is trying to track down the owners.”

Officials are grappling with two separate problems in False Creek. One is abandoned and decaying boats, while the other is people living on vessels but not adhering to the city’s permitting system.

Under city bylaws, boaters are allowed to anchor in the waterway for 21 days out of 40 in the off-season and 14 days out of 30 in the summer, if they obtain a free permit.

2:08 Transport Canada to remove several derelict boats from False Creek

Many exceed those limits or simply don’t get a permit in the first place, McDougall said. The problem was exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic when police took a “hands-off” approach in order not to displace people with no other residence, he added.

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“I think there’s about 76 boats here in the creek now, and I think at last check … four of them have permits, so the vast majority of the people we are dealing with are not following the rules,” he said.

For both the derelict and liveaboard boats, it is also often difficult for the authorities to locate owners.

Any boat with an engine larger than 9.9 horsepower is supposed to be registered with Transport Canada, but McDougall said there is no enforcement mechanism for people who fail to do so.

“It’s not like ICBC where once you go to insure the car you have to provide proof of ownership,” he explained.

“Most of these boats don’t have insurance, so there’s no incentive for people to register it in their name, so for us to track down who the actual owner of the boat is becomes quite difficult.”

2:15 Abandoned boat targeted by looters in False Creek

In addition to being an eyesore, the vessels clogging the creek can be a navigation hazard and an environmental concern, dumping waste or leeching fuel or toxic chemicals into the water.

McDougall said there are also significant safety concerns for people living on the boats, particularly if they struggle with mental health or drug problems.

In an emergency situation people aboard the boats aren’t easily able to get to shore, and first responders cannot reach them quickly, he said.

Police say they have issued more than 100 warning notices to vessels that have overstayed their time in the creek, and that owners could face fines along with fees for the towing and storage of any boats that are removed.