All signs point to Chip Wilson April Fool’s prank

A sign announcing an 8,000-square foot floating heliport dock outside a Vancouver mansion on exclusive Point Grey Road is outraging passersby — until they realize it’s a very convincing April Fool’s 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.

“Proposed pick up and drop off at the bus stop” is a giveaway, along with the Project Facilitator’s Office: “A. Foolisch Engineering Inc.,” although someone had changed the ‘F’ to an ‘E’ by Tuesday.

The sign says the home is zoned RS 2 but that doesn’t matter, according to the City of Vancouver.

“A heliport is not a permitted use in RS-2 and there are no residential properties that currently have a helicopter landing pad,” city communications co-ordinator Jag Sandhu said in a email.

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’s believed he’s responsible for this heliport prank, although no one was available to comment Tuesday.

Megan King and her husband Jamie were initially hoodwinked by the sign.

“We were like, ‘No way, a helicopter pad?!’ ” she recalled.

“Then we took a closer look. It’s quite hilarious. It’s going to fool a lot of people.”