Unique houseboat raising eyebrows and questions in Surrey

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.

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.

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.