McBarge

Coordinates: 49°17′35″N 122°58′47″W / 49.293036°N 122.979797°W / 49.293036; -122.979797 The McBarge, officially named the Friendship 500, was a McDonald's restaurant, built on a 57-metre-longbarge for Expo '86 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Moored on Expo grounds in Vancouver's False Creek, it was the second floating McDonald's location in the world (first being in St Louis, Missouri), intended to showcase future technology and architecture. Although the floating design allowed for the barge to operate in a new location following the exhibition, the derelict McBarge has been anchored empty in Burrard Inlet since 1991, amid industrial barges and an oil refinery.

Disused and forgotten for years, the barge was the centrepiece of a failed proposal for a waterfront development on the Fraser River in Mission, British Columbia, including a restaurant and marina.

History

The restaurant was designed by Robert Allan Ltd. for Expo 1986 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.