Concerns are growing over multiple derelict boats that have washed up onto the shores of False Creek.
They are hard to miss, and residents are raising questions about safety, environmental impacts, and who is ultimately responsible.
“You would think the government or someone could just come and pick them up or get rid of them somehow,” one passer-by told CityNews.
That may seem like the obvious solution, but it’s complicated as to which government agency would take charge.
Transport Canada is the lead agency responsible for vessel safety and enforcing laws like the Canada Shipping Act and the Wrecked, Abandoned, or Hazardous Vessels Act.
If a vessel poses an environmental threat, the Canadian Coast Guard steps in.
While the city oversees most public docks in False Creek, the Vancouver Police Department enforces permits for docked vessels.
Transport Canada tries to identify the owners who, under federal law, are responsible for covering the cost of removal, with penalties ranging from warnings to fines.
The city confirms that 20 boats have been impounded in False Creek over the last two years, but the ones at Sunset Beach remain.
Meanwhile, while locals don’t want them to become a permanent problem, the wrecks have become an accidental tourist attraction.
For now, officials say enforcement is “ongoing.”
