A sign announcing an 8,000-square foot floating heliport dock outside a 91原创 mansion on exclusive Point Grey Road is outraging passersby 鈥� until they realize it鈥檚 a very convincing April Fool鈥檚 joke.
The large sign looks very much like those that go up whenever a classic old house is set to come down for a new development.
But read a little closer and the prank becomes clear.
鈥淣o public hearing is scheduled鈥� is a definite no-no because you usually require an extensive public process in 91原创 to blow your nose.
鈥淧roposed pick up and drop off at the bus stop鈥� is yet another giveaway, along with the Project Facilitator鈥檚 Office: 鈥淎. Foolisch Engineering Inc.,鈥� although someone had changed the 鈥楩鈥� to an 鈥楨鈥� by Tuesday.
The sign says the home is zoned RS 2 but that doesn鈥檛 matter, according to the City of 91原创.
鈥淎 heliport is not a permitted use in RS-2 and there are no residential properties that currently have a helicopter landing pad,鈥� city communications co-ordinator Jag Sandhu said in a email.
鈥淭he City is not aware of any residential properties having a helipad in the past,鈥� said Sandhu.
The property in question is home to Lululemon clothing company founder Chip Wilson, and was recently valued in excess of $57 million.
Wilson has had controversies in the past about the property, as well as about a proposal for a massive dock and two big breakwaters he wanted to build for his Sunshine Coast estate. It鈥檚 believed he鈥檚 responsible for this heliport prank, although no one was available to speak about the situation when The Province investigated the scene Tuesday.
Megan King and her husband Jamie were initially hoodwinked by the sign.
鈥淔irst of all, they got us,鈥� said Megan, who was out for a walk Tuesday with her husband and their two children.
鈥淲e were like, 鈥楴o way, a helicopter pad?!鈥欌�� she recalled.
鈥淭hen we took a closer look. It鈥檚 quite hilarious. It鈥檚 going to fool a lot of people.鈥�
She didn鈥檛 have any problems with the prank. 鈥淚 think they have a great sense of humour,鈥� said King of whoever came up with the subterfuge.
Another giveaway for the joke is that the development application number is 鈥淯FO41234.鈥�
But UFOs are no laughing matter according to a recent poll by Insights West, which found that 46 per cent of British Columbians and 47 per cent of Albertans believe that unidentified flying objects exist.
鈥淭his is not an April Fool鈥檚 joke,鈥� said Insights West vice-president Mario Canseco, who deliberately sent out his polling results the day before all the joking occurs.
Judging from polls, conspiracy and coverup theories are quite popular in B.C. and Alberta.
鈥� Nearly a third of B.C. residents (32 per cent) and two-in-five Albertans believe a cure for cancer has been found but governments or pharmaceutical companies are withholding it.
鈥� Bigfoot or Sasquatch is real, according to one in five residents (20 per cent in B.C., 21 per cent in Alberta). There is a slightly lower acceptance of Ogopogo: 16 per cent of British Columbians believe in the Lake Okanagan monster, compared with 15 per cent of Albertans.
鈥� But only one per cent of B.C. and Alberta residents believe Elvis Presley is alive.
