A unique houseboat is raising some eyebrows in Surrey.
A camper trailer, sitting on top of a makeshift barge of 36 round containers and some steel beams, is currently moored on the Nicomekl River by Surrey’s Portage Park.
Nearby residents told Global News that they witnessed the floating home get assembled and then launched into the water using a crane.
No one inside the home answered Global News’ calls from the shore to speak with them.
Other residents expressed concerns about fish spawning in the river as what appear to be oil slicks have been observed.
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There are also questions about how secure the float home is, as it’s tied up to a rotting stump.
The City of Surrey said it had issued warnings to the owner of the vessel earlier this month. It did issue one parking ticket when it was located on city land. The ticket was still visible on the side of the trailer on Sunday.
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In a statement, the city said it will be engaging partner agencies such as Transport Canada to ensure the matter is properly resolved.
It said it will not permit derelict or abandoned vessels on the Nicomekl River.
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In a statement on Monday, Transport Canada said it recently became aware of the vessel on the Nicomekl River and officials will follow up with the vessel owner and “may conduct further inspections or compliance verification activities, as appropriate, to determine whether the vessel complies with applicable marine safety and environmental requirements.
“A vessel must be capable of navigation to be considered a vessel under the Canada Shipping Act, and it does not necessarily need a motor to comply with Transport Canada’s regulations (e.g. barge, kayak, canoe). Transport Canada would need to inspect the vessel to better understand specific requirements.”
The organization said people may construct vessels for their personal use, but those must still comply with all applicable requirements under the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 and its regulations, including applicable safety and environmental requirements.