A once famous barge that served as a floating McDonald's restaurant during the Expo 86 world fair has partially capsized in the Fraser River. 

'McBarge', as it was fondly dubbed, was moored along the river in the Maple Ridge Albion industrial area, where it took on water sometime overnight on Tuesday, March 25, causing it to tip over onto its side.

It is now mostly submerged.

Vancouver developer Howard Meakin owns the 香蕉视频直播淢cBarge,香蕉视频直播� also known as the Friendship 500, which he was planning to bring back to life once he found the right high traffic spot to anchor the 57-metre, two-storey glass-and-metal marine vehicle.

The official name of the barge is the Seaborne ll. 

City of Maple Ridge bylaw staff went to the site of the partially sunken vessel on Wednesday to assess the condition of the barge and to "engage the appropriate authorities," explained Michelle Adams, director of bylaw, licensing and community safety.

Adams noted that jurisdiction over this matter falls to Transport Canada, which will be monitoring the status of the barge. 

"Transport Canada香蕉视频直播檚 Marine Pollution and Environmental Response branch previously attended the vessel in 2023, and determined there were no pollutants or fuel on board and have advised that they have closed their file as there are no current environmental concerns," said Adams. 

The City also contacted the B.C. Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship to make sure it was informed of the situation and to seek clarity on potential next steps for cleanup or removal of the vessel.

"While the city is not the lead agency in this matter, we will continue to monitor the situation and support the efforts of the responsible authorities as needed," said Adams.

David Karn, a spokesperson for the B.C. Ministry of Environment and Parks, confirmed they are aware of the vessel's status, but Transport Canada is the lead agency which will be monitoring the status of the barge. 

"The Canadian Coast Guard, (CCG), previously referred the vessel to Transport Canada Navigation Protection Program for their assessment. TC (Transport Canada) has been updated on the new status of the Seaborne II," he said on behalf of the ministry.

Following Expo 86, which was May to October in 1986, the 'McBarge' was docked in False Creek for several years before being moved to the Burrard Inlet. It was moved to Maple Ridge in 2015 for restoration.

In a 2020 interview with The News, Meakin, who had owned the barge for three decades by then, said he was hoping to restore the barge and reopen it as a seafood restaurant. 

It is unclear what the fate of the vessel is now. 

The News has reached out to Meakin and Transport Canada for further comment. 

Meanwhile the city said it shares the public香蕉视频直播檚 concerns about the long-term impacts abandoned or deteriorating boats like the 'McBarge' can have on the environment, navigation safety, and shoreline appearance. Adams said the City remains committed to advocating for stronger policies and intergovernmental collaboration to prevent and manage derelict vessels in the waterways

"We strongly support the development of a more coordinated and proactive approach among federal and provincial agencies to remove or decommission vessels before they pose a hazard," said Adams.

For more information related to marine safety or environmental response, contact the Navigation Protection Program Transport Canada at 604-775-8867 or NPPPAC-PPNPAC@tc.gc.ca.