The Totems of Brockton Point, Stanley Park

One of my favorite Sunday walks is along the seawall by Coal Harbor (map) on the south edge of Stanley Park, walking east toward Brockton Point (map).  When I walk this way I always stop to admire the Totems of Brockton Point, located just next to the Brockton Oval playing fields. This is one of the most visited places in Stanley Park.

Brockton Point Totems

At one time, before the European settlers came, this area was the home to the Burrard, Musqueam and Squamish First Nations people.  The park you see today was an evolution of the early pioneer city, a place of recreation for the new citizens.  In 1886 Vancouver’s first city Council petitioned the Federal Government to lease 1000 acres of this property for parks and recreation.  On September 27, 1887 Stanley Park was officially opened.

The First Nations people used this area for village sites, gathering shellfish, stripping cedar bark, gathering shellfish and crabs, hunting and fishing in the nearby waters that were rich with salmon.  There used to be a village  occupied by the Xkwey Kwey people, located near where Lumberman’s Arch is now. The village had many traditional houses and back in 1885, the largest house, known as Tah-hay, held a great potlatch ceremony attended by 2,000 First Nations people and many European residents of Burrard Inlet.

Coast Salish Gateway

In the early 1920′s the park Commissioners wanted to reconstruct a First Nations village in this area but their plan never reached it’s full village vision and only the tote poles remain to remind us of the first occupants of this great park.  The totems are from various areas of BC.  The first four poles came from Alert Bay region on Vancouver Island. Some have been purchased from the Queen Charlotte Islands and Rivers Inlet on the central coast of British Columbia  Each of the totems tell a story. Some of the older poles have been replaced by replicas while the originals sent to museums for preservation, and new ones commissioned by the Parks Board.

Three carved gateways by Coast Salish artist Susan Point were installed in June 2008.  These portals welcome visitors to the park.  They are carved of red cedar and consructed to represent the traditional slant-roof style of Coast Salish architecture with carved welcome figures in the doorways.

There are nine poles in the park, the newest one carved by Robert Yelton of the Squamish Nation as a tribute to his mother, Rose, who was one of the last residents of Stanley Park.

If you’re visiting Vancouver, be sure and go around the Park and visit the totems.  There’s a concession and souvenir shop there and a display of exhibits explaining the history of the totems and the area.  There are picnic areas nearby and a children’s play area at Lumberman’s Arch (map).

Getting There:

By Car: Take the right turn just as you enter the Park off Georgia Street.  There is a parking lot nearby  and various parking areas around the park.

By Public Transit: The #19 Stanley Park bus goes right into the Park.  Get off at the first stop as you approach the park entrance.

Photo credit:  W. Ruth Kozak