Spa on board a Second World War barge could be docking at Vancouver museum

A floating spa could be coming to Kitsilano’s waterfront—and not everyone is happy about the idea.

A museum has announced a partnership with a company that has been searching for a Vancouver location for its floating spa on a Second World War Barge.

The Vancouver Maritime Museum is teaming up with HAVN saunas, which has transformed the 1943 naval vessel into a space offering saunas and hydrotherapy.

David Jordan, the museum’s executive director, said the barge “fits right in” with its mandate of showcasing the region’s maritime history while a revenue-sharing partnership will help sustain it for the future.

“Revenue for the museum is hard to come by. We’ve seen a really good increase in admissions over the past few years, but grant revenue has been stagnant,” Jordan said in a video posted to social media last week.

The barge’s bulk will also help shelter the museum and the marina during intensifying storms, which have caused damage on nearby parts of Vancouver’s waterfront in recent years.

Jordan also hopes the floating spa will attract new visitors to the grounds of the museum—ideally driving an increase in admissions.

Coun. Sarah-Kirby-Yung is a supporter of the partnership and is bringing a motion Wednesday that would direct city staff to find “the simplest process to enable this opportunity to move forward.”

The motion notes the proposed location’s proximity to the Museum of Vancouver and the H.R MacMillan Space Centre, which could also see a boost in visitors and revenue with the addition of a new attraction.

“Other municipalities are finding ways to welcome new experiences and overcoming red tape to make that happen, as a result they are landing new attractions at Vancouver’s expense,” the motion says.

HAVN’s plans to bring the barge to False Creek fell apart earlier this year, but the development permit application offers a glimpse of what HAVN had planned—building upon its success in Victoria’s Inner Harbour.

“We create immersive environments that foster mindfulness, relaxation, and connection. Our mission is to craft spaces where individuals can pause, recharge, and fully embrace the present moment, nurturing deeper bonds with themselves, others, and the world around them,” the earlier letter submitted to the city said.

The plan was for the barge to be open from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week and the company projected it could accommodate between 200 and 300 people a day.

Once aboard, customers would have three hours to explore a “hydrotherapy circuit” consisting of saunas, cold pools and hot baths. The spa would be alcohol and cellphone free, with a lounge offering some refreshments.

Not everyone is thrilled about the addition—Elvira Lount, a longtime Kitsilano resident, has started a petition pushing back against the project.

“I’m not against the idea of having a wellness center with views, but this is not the place for it,” she told CTV News.

Lount said the floating spa won’t benefit the entire community, arguing the concept is “basically taking the view and privatizing it.”

The current plan would see HAVN in Vancouver in 2027.