Christmas Day proposal captured at Vancouver's English Bay barge

Patrick Levesque proposing to his partner by the English Bay barge on Dec. 25, 2021. (Patrick Levesque/Instagram)

One of Vancouver's newest attractions proved to be the picture-perfect backdrop for a special Christmas Day proposal.

Patrick Levesque's partner, Callum, thought they were just out for a walk to take pictures of the now-infamous beached barge near English Bay on Christmas.

Once they were in front of the vessel, Levesque set up the camera's self timer to capture a few photos and got down on one knee, bringing his partner to tears.

"Just like this barge, he came out of nowhere but we are a perfect match for each other," Levesque said in an Instagram post Saturday.

"He said yes, I placed the ring on his finger and we were both so excited and overwhelmed by the moment."

The barge, which crashed onto Vancouver's shoreline during a mid-November storm, has become an attraction in the city, with the local park board even erecting a "Barge Chilling Beach" sign nearby. 

Earlier this month, the park board said how long the sign remains at the beach will depend on how long the barge is on the rocks.

Work was underway weeks ago to assess and repair damage to the vessel so it could be towed away. The city said the owner has submitted a recovery plan to Transport Canada, the Vancouver Port Authority and the Canadian Coast Guard.

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Andrew Weichel