There are plans to raise the 117-year-old James Whalen Tug out of the Kaministiquia River and move it to dry land.
The vessel sunk over the weekend and is now sitting at the bottom of the waterway.
City officials have contacted Transport Canada and the Coast Guard about the vessel.
The engine had previously been drained, so there is no environmental risk, but floating booms have been installed as a precaution.
In a statement shared with council Monday night, Manager of Parks and Open Spaces Cory Halvorsen noted:
After the 2021 incident where the James Whalen unexpectedly took on water, a submersible pump was installed to manage potential leaks/infiltration. During the summer of 2021 the pump did not have to run very much, therefore there were no signs of significant leakage and the ship appeared to be docked securely.
At the beginning of the winter 2021 we had to take out the pump system before freeze up to avoid damage. The plan and direction was to install the pump as soon as possible in the spring once it thawed. Parks had tried to install the pump once earlier this spring, but the sump in the tug was still frozen and persistent cold temperatures meant it could not be installed.
The recent warming temperatures and rain appear to have resulted in a quick transition from frozen to taking on a significant amount of water.
Site observations from Friday and Saturday evening reported the boat appeared to be upright and not out of position, however by Sunday morning the boat had sank and detached from the moorings, resting on its side.
City staff are working with local companies to receive proposals on how to raise the boat and move it to a storage location where it can be assessed for damages.
