5. North Vancouver Ferry No. 5 (1941) [Lost]

Built in 1941, Ferry No. 5 was the last of five ferries built for the Burrard Inlet service between the foot of Columbia Street and Lonsdale.

After the ferry service was discontinued in 1958, the vessel was converted for use as the Seven Seas seafood restaurant and remained berthed within metres of its original landing site at the foot of Lonsdale.

The landmark ‘Seven Seas’ neon sign, perched atop the ferry, is among the region’s best surviving examples, and provides one of the most spectacular street-end views in the Lower Mainland.

The City of North Vancouver, which owns the water lot and is concerned that the vessel is no longer seaworthy, in October gave interested parties six months to find either a purchaser or financing for rehabilitation. Without a solution, the ferry will be towed from its moorings and likely scrapped.

Updates

Update June 27, 2005: Ferry No. 5 has been scrapped.