A New Westminster councillor floated the idea of finding a new permanent indoor home for the Samson V maritime museum, but the plan sank at the council table.
The Samson V, moored on the city’s waterfront next to the Inn at the Quay and River Market, was the last steam-powered sternwheeler to operate in Canada. Built in 1937, the Samson V served a number of roles during its career on the water, including clearing debris.
At the April 3 meeting, Coun. Daniel Fontaine proposed that staff report back on costs, potential sources of funding and operational impacts associated with temporarily placing the Samson V in dry dock to repair and restore the vessel for public viewing.
He also proposed that staff report back on options to find a permanent indoor home for the Samson V adjacent or on the waterfront, as part of a possible pier expansion and/or long-term tourism strategy.
“Let's get moving on the taking that ship out of the Fraser River, getting it repaired, and eventually bringing it back into a place that will provide for a permanent dry home and one free of pigeons,” he said.
Fontaine said other communities have “put these types of treasures” into dry, indoor spaces, where they’re protected from birds and weather impacts. He noted that the City of Burnaby has an indoor space for an interurban train car.
During 2023 capital budget discussions, council learned that $60,000 was in the 2023 budget for repairs to the Samson V’s roof, in part to repair damage caused by pigeon droppings.
As a new resident to the Quayside neighbourhood, Fontaine said he frequently walks by the Samson V.
“It's part of our maritime history, and it is a museum, a city museum,” he said. “And it is now underneath shrink wrap. It is underneath shrink wrap because … the boat is dealing with an excess, or an increased number of pigeons who are doing their part to slowly disintegrate the upper deck on the Samson V.”
Fontaine, who has been calling on the city to find a way of creating short-term moorage on the waterfront for pleasure crafts, said the space currently used by the Samson V could be used to pilot day moorage, if the vessel went into dry dock for repairs.
Fontaine told council that his motion wasn’t seeking a decision about the Samson V but was to begin a dialogue around the future of an important piece of city infrastructure.
“I think we owe it to everybody who used that particular vessel, and everybody who has worked on it and tried to restore it and keep it in good shape, to support this motion tonight,” he said. “And for us to look at perhaps a new and exciting opportunity for some tourism, to bring the Samson back to the waterfront.”
In a 5-2 vote, council defeated the motion. Fontaine was the lone council member to speak to the motion.
Reopening in May
At a February workshop about the capital budget, staff told council the budget included $60,000 for repairs to the Samson V’s roof, so the city can avoid having any leaks and avoid further damage.
“The pigeon problems that we've had on there were due to rotting of the canvas roofing that is on there right now,” said Rob McCullough, the city’s manager of museums and heritage services. “I'm looking into a different type of product that is no longer canvas that won't respond or react to the pigeon droppings in the same way.”
McCullough later told the Record that the Samson closed for the winter, as is always the case, because it’s “not hospitable” to be in the vessel in the winter and foot traffic along the boardwalk is much lower in the winter months.
“We do still plan to open again this spring. As with previous years our first operational weekend will be the Victoria long weekend,” he said in an April 5 statement to the Record. “The wrapping will be coming off as soon as we have consistently drier weather. It is worth noting that the vessel is in good shape, and the wrapping was a winterization measure to keep water out due to the leaking roof.”
