These days, between safety improvements and recovery efforts, wrecks of any sort of vehicle aren’t commonly left around.

However, in Vancouver’s early days, there were plenty of incidents in the Lower Mainland. From plane crashes to train wrecks to sunken ships, there were many accidents that left the vehicle in place.

Some were tragic, like the Canadair crash in 1956, where 62 people died when a plane crashed into Mt Slesse near Chilliwack. Others saw fewer casualties, like the famous Beaver that ran aground off Stanley Park.

These days there aren’t many sites around Vancouver, though the Whistler train wreck is a well-known stop. Here are five others: 

NOTE: B.C.’s Heritage Conservation Act protects wrecks that are more than a couple of years old, so if you visit these places, remember it is illegal to damage or remove parts of the wreck.

Westham Island’s Sunny Island

Despite its name, this is actually an old boat that was abandoned on the edge of Westham Island.

According to Heritage BC, it may have been left behind when the B.C. government seized the property of locals of Japanese heritage during WWII. The people were sent to internment camps inland.

What is known is that the unique 84-foot-long vessel was used for fish packing. Built by Jirokichi Arimoto in 1929, it’s nearing its 100th birthday, sitting in Ewan Slough, covered in overgrowth.

The Skyline F-86

Grouse Mountain is popular for a few things, but a less popular reason for hiking there is to visit the old jet engine.

In 1954, American Air Force pilot Lt. Lamar Barlow was flying an F-86 Sabre over the region.

An investigation into the incident found Barlow appeared to have gotten lost while flying near the speed of sound, as his compass had stopped working.

When he called for help, radar operators tried to guide him in. However, it appears the operators gave Barlow bad information, as there was a radar “ghost” on their screen, which they confused for the jet.

While they believed he was over Tacoma, he was actually over Vancouver, and unfortunately, due to cloudy skies, he ran into Grouse.

The remains of the wreck, including the plane’s engine, lie just off the Skyline trail.

A memorial also marks the spot.

Porteau Cove wrecks

Likely the most well-known site on this list, there are several vessels purposely sunk here to create a diving site.

Among the wrecks here are the Granthall (pictured above), a sailboat hull, and the Centennial III, a dredge tender. There’s also a reef made out of old tires and other similar items.

The vessels are accessible to divers of every level (so long as conditions are good). According to the province, more than 100 species of marine life have been spotted at the site, including octopuses and lingcod.

The JD McCormack

Another boat one could hike to, the JD McCormack, is an old sternwheeler that now lies on the edge of the Fraser River.

Built in 1921, it spent a couple of decades plying the waters around Greater Vancouver.

However, about 80 years ago, it was being used as a barge when it ended up on the north bank of the Fraser River.

It still sits there, on the edge of Coquitlam, just west of the Port Mann Bridge.

The Mount Strachan crash site

Barlow wasn’t the only military pilot to have a tragic end in the North Shore Mountains.

In 1963, a Canadian military jet crashed into Mount Strachan.

Inclement weather is believed to have played a significant role in the crash that killed both pilots, Lt. Norman Ogden and Lt. Donald Clark, in the T-33 training plane. 

Hiking is possible to the site and memorial, which sits amongst the remaining wreckage which is spread out.