No stranger to controversy, Lululemon founder Chip Wilson is raising eyebrows with a development application to build a massive helicopter landing pad at his Vancouver mansion. But neighbours shouldn’t get too worried: it’s a joke.
A sign was recently posted outside Wilson's English Bay home notifying residents of plans to build an 8,000-square-foot floating helipad on the property.
Passersby in the west-end neighbourhood were quick to slam the proposed project.
"I don't think it's appropriate for English Bay, I really don't," one cyclist told CTV Vancouver. "I live in the neighbourhood, I can't imagine helicopters landing."
But before residents could get too upset about the plan, some noticed the name of the engineering firm slated to oversee the project: A. Foolisch Engineering Inc.
Further investigation revealed that the sign was indeed a joke, likely played just in time for April Fool's Day. When calls were made to the phone number listed on the sign, a recording of a woman's voice informed callers that no one was available to speak with them, but to check back on April 1.
The former Lululemon CEO has a history of making headlines.
It was Wilson who famously suggested in 2013 that his company's popular yoga pants simply aren't appropriate for "some women's bodies."
Wilson resigned as chairman of the board later that year, and stepped down completely last February.
Late last year, Wilson mounted a giant statue of a moose on the roof of his home that was made up entirely of Christmas lights.
Some area residents told CTV Vancouver that they admired the businessman's apparent sense of humour .
"First it was the Christmas moose, and now it's this," one woman said with a laugh. "Imagine, if everyone could have a sense of humour like this it would be better."
With a report from CTV Vancouver's Peter Grainger
