A vehicle dangling above Highway 99 near Squamish will be removed this week, as provincial officials warn of serious public safety risks.
In a statement, the B.C. Ministry of Environment said the Volkswagen Beetle—referred to as the “VM Beetle”—is currently suspended above both power lines and the busy Sea to Sky Highway, prompting an immediate closure of the surrounding area.
“The area around the VM Beetle has been closed until it is removed due to the potentially serious public safety threats posed,” the ministry said.
A ministry official said if the vehicle is not properly secured, it could fall and cause significant harm to drivers and visitors below. The removal process itself also carries risk for crews tasked with the operation, he added.
BC Parks confirmed it is working on a plan to safely remove the vehicle, with completion expected within the week. Preliminary cost estimates are still being explored.
The ministry added that responding to the incident is placing pressure on resources.
“Addressing this matter requires team capacity and budget and directly impacts BC Parks’ ability to deliver services to visitors in Sea to Sky parks and protected areas,” the statement said.
Authorities, including the RCMP and park rangers, have been asked to investigate the incident. BC Parks described the situation as a “serious incident” and said appropriate steps are being taken to resolve it as quickly and safely as possible.
The prank is widely attributed to UBC engineering students, who have a long tradition of hoisting Beetle shells in difficult-to-reach locations. Squamish Nation has condemned the incident.
To Ministry, BC Parks and Squamish Nation, I volunteer to assemble a team of able and willing volunteers to do it for FREE for you!
Why do we live in the country that has no real people capable of anything without dramatic planning, over complicating and heavily pricing every breath they take?
Few kids were able to bring it up, “install” and leave it hanging for days, and now everyone is debating and “developing” plans how to resolve the problem that does not really exist, while still “exploring the preliminary cost”.
Bureaucracy at its best…
Are you are also willing to absorb any liabilities in the event someone is injured during the removal? Like, if you drop a piece and it crashes into the highway? Will you issue a highway closure at your own expense, too? Insurance sucks. But so do lawsuits.
It seems the UBC Engineers were able to quickly overnight and presumably inexpensively with “beer money” install that prank VM Beatle shell by helicopter and a couple of climbers. They should be recruited for Canadian Forces special operations because they can seem to get things done without being noticed by anyone! But how long and how much TAXPAYERS dollars does it take BC Parks and possibly BC Highways to remove it ? As soon as government agencies get involved COSTS always balloon and DELAYS always happens seems to the order of business for any government officials. Seems like some people make a career out of creating and living off of bureaucracy at taxpayers expense.
I’m not sure why people are criticize BC Parks. It’s not their job to remove someone else’s garbage. Since the those that put it there aren’t courageous enough to come forward and remove it, parks is stepping up To handle it. If people think they can do it safely and faster, one idea is to make a real proposal and do it – rather than criticizing parks.
Hi folks,
I think the VM Beetle with our Canadian flag – so beautifully painted – should stay on the mountain
and of course, be secured even more than it already is. Then it Shouldn’t pose any more of a risk to power lines or the highway below than a rock.