I am concerned.
Concerned that once again, a piece of Kitsilano’s public waterfront may be drifting away from its intended purpose. This time, the issue is the proposal to install a floating HAVN sauna spa in Heritage Harbour at the Vancouver Maritime Museum.
At first glance, the idea might sound harmless—even appealing. Who could object to a spa? But the real question is not whether saunas are pleasant. The real question is whether a commercial spa belongs in Heritage Harbour at all.
Heritage Harbour was not created as a commercial marina or an entertainment venue. It exists for a very specific reason: to support the mandate of the Vancouver Maritime Museum and to preserve maritime heritage. The harbour functions as a living extension of the museum itself—home to historic vessels, educational programming, and maritime interpretation.
A private spa, no matter how tastefully designed, is simply not part of that mission.
Supporters of the proposal argue that the museum needs new revenue streams and that a partnership with HAVN could help support museum programming. No one disputes that cultural institutions face financial challenges. But the solution cannot be to introduce unrelated commercial activities into spaces that were never intended for them. Once a heritage harbour becomes a platform for private businesses, the line between cultural space and commercial waterfront quickly begins to blur.
Which leads to the second issue: precedent.
If a private spa can occupy part of Heritage Harbour, what comes next? A floating restaurant? A bar? A hotel? These are not hypothetical questions. Cities everywhere struggle to protect public waterfronts once commercial uses begin to creep in. Vancouver has long prided itself on preserving public access to its shoreline. That principle should apply just as strongly here.
There is also the matter of neighbourhood compatibility.
Kitsilano Point is not an entertainment district. It is a small residential enclave adjacent to Vanier Park and several cultural institutions—the Maritime Museum, the Museum of Vancouver, and the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre. These institutions share something important: they are quiet, educational, and compatible with the surrounding community.
A year-round commercial spa introduces a very different type of activity—more visitors, more traffic, and more noise in a harbour where sound carries easily across the water.
Some proponents have suggested that the harbour space is “underused” and needs activation. I would respectfully disagree. Heritage Harbour is not empty space waiting for a business concept. It is a specialized heritage facility whose purpose is tied directly to the preservation of maritime culture.
In other words, it is already doing exactly what it was meant to do.
None of this is to say that wellness tourism or floating spas are inherently bad ideas. Cities around the world have embraced them in appropriate locations—typically commercial waterfront districts or redeveloped industrial harbours. Heritage Harbour at the Vancouver Maritime Museum is neither of those things.
It is a civic cultural site on public land.
Before approving a proposal that would fundamentally change how that space is used, the City should ask a simple question: Does this project align with the purpose for which Heritage Harbour was created?
If the answer is unclear, caution is warranted.
Public waterfronts are precious. Once their character changes, it is almost impossible to restore them. For that reason alone, Heritage Harbour deserves careful stewardship.
It should remain what it was intended to be:
A harbour for maritime heritage, open to the public—not a platform for private spa operations.
Please click on this Shape Your City link and let the City of Vancouver know how you feel about this matter.
You can also sign this Online Petition.
