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McBarge, Friendship 500 McDonald's Restaurant, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
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History
The restaurant was purpose-built for Expo '86, and was one of five McDonald's locations on the Expo grounds, all of which were constructed for a total of $12 million. It was initially intended to be used as a McDonald's restaurant after Expo '86, but the barge remained empty at the Expo grounds until 1991, when the new owner of the grounds forced McDonald's to remove it. It has since been anchored derelict in Burrard Inlet, north of Burnaby, British Columbia.
In June 2009, the McBarge's current owner, Gastown developer Howard Meakin, submitted a proposal to the Mission city council for a waterfront development on the Fraser River, with the former McBarge as the centrepiece. Named "Sturgeon's on the Fraser", the development would include multiple restaurants and a marina complex, including paddlewheeler excursions and float plane service to Victoria and Nanaimo. As of August 2010, the proposal enjoys local support, but awaits council approval. Other proposals that have been put forward without owner interest include using the barge as a homeless shelter to alleviate overcrowding in Vancouver's current temporary shelters.
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