Barge that ran aground in Esquimalt towed to Ogden Point for repairs

CHEK
An empty barge is shown at Ogden Point in Victoria after it was towed there from just off McLoughlin Point, Esquimalt, where it ran aground last week. Dec. 8, 2022.

An empty barge that ran aground off of Esquimalt was towed across Victoria’s Harbour Thursday to Ogden Point, where it will undergo repairs.

Several tugboats were seen towing the Lafarge barge, used to transport cement products, from the water off McLoughlin Point in Esquimalt over to dock at Ogden Point.

The barge was unoccupied and empty when a towing bridle snapped during a winter windstorm Tuesday, Nov. 29, causing it to break free from the tugboat attached to it at the time.

Strong winds then pushed the vessel aground off Esquimalt, where it remained until Thursday. With no timeline from either Lafarge or Transport Canada, many speculated that the Capital Region could have its own version of Vancouver’s “Barge Chilling Beach.”

Now that it’s in a repair dock, divers will go in to get a closer look at any potential damage, but any safety or environmental concerns have already been ruled out, said Greater Victoria Harbour Authority spokesman Ian Robertson.

“We’re happy to help in this situation to provide a safe area for it to be worked on,” he said.

The repair work is estimated to take around three weeks.

CHEK News has reached out to Lafarge but the company had not replied as of 5 p.m. Thursday. Transport Canada said it would be able to provide an update on Friday.

Jeff Lawrence

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