Thursday 27 June 2013

Stanley Park Totem Poles



One of Stanley parks most visited places are the totem poles at Brockton Point.

These totem poles were created by BC's first nations people. Four of the original totems were from Alert Bay on Vancouver Island; additional pieces were from the Queen Charlotte Islands and Rivers Inlet on the central coast of BC.

Many of the original totems were carved as early as the 1880s, they have been sent to museums for preservation.

The totem poles are in the eastern corner of Stanley Park. Drivers can find pay parking along Stanley Park Drive, directly in front of the totems. There are usually Stanley Park Shuttles tourists can take.

One of the first totem poles to be positioned was at Lumberman's Arch in the 1920s, when the Park Board bought four totems from Vancouver Island's Alert Bay. Then in the mid 1960s, the totem poles were re-located to Brockton Point.

The Skedans Mortuary Pole is a replica as the original was given back to the owner. In the late 1980s, the remaining totem poles were sent to various museums for preservation.

The final ninth totem pole, carved by Robert Yelton of the Squamish Nation, was added to Brockton Point in 2009. The totem poles are now part of Vancouver's heritage.

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