Blighted houseboat continues collapse into Yellowknife Bay

Updated:September 30, 2026

Thursday October 1, 2026 at 5:48am MT

Big Blue, in the foreground, has been sinking since 2023. Sarah Pruys/Cabin Radio

Big Blue, the sinking houseboat that remains an unfortunate, prominent feature of Yellowknife Bay, has entered its latest era of collapse.

The structure’s terminal slide from its one-time platform into the water is now at an advanced stage.

@cabinradio
This Yellowknife houseboat has been sinking for months. Now, it has fully collapsed into the bay. The NWT government had already ordered an unnamed owner and the houseboat community to remove it. Smaller items have already been cleared and the GNWT told the CBC the environmental risk has been minimized. Houseboaters told Cabin Radio they need to wait until the lake freezes to safely remove the frame given its lack of structural integrity. #yellowknife #northwestterritories #northerncanada #canada ♬ Spectacular Moment – life motivation

Houseboaters have said they’re waiting until the lake freezes this winter to be able to safely remove the frame, given its obvious lack of structural integrity.

The houseboat’s bid to reach lake bottom before the freeze may complicate aspects of that plan.

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The structure has been in distress for years. Repair work in 2023 went wrong and, despite subsequent attempts to rejuvenate the houseboat, a plan to remove it from the bay was in place by this summer.