A bronze statue of Charlotte Small with her husband and partner David Thompson stands in the heart of Pothole Park. The concrete base of the sculpture has four bronze reliefs depicting the following events: “Winter 1787 with the Peigans” “Columbia Discovered …1807” “At the mouth of the Columbia…July 1811” “Crossing Athabasca Pass…winter 1811” Another plaque states: “This is a millennium project of the Windermere District Historical Society. It has been achieved through the donations of many sponsors and many pioneer families. Unveiled July 18, 2003.” Small was born in 1799 to a Cree mother and Scottish father, who was a North West Company partner. He returned to Europe, leaving Small and her siblings with their mother. On June 10, 1799, at 13, she left home to marry David Thompson, a twenty-nine-year-old fur trader. Fluent in English, French, and Cree, a skilled hunter who knew how to survive in harsh conditions and find her way in the wild, Small became Thompson’s right hand and joined him in the expeditions while bearing and raising their five children. After Thompson retired from fur trading, the family relocated to the Montréal region. They renewed their marriage vows by a minister and welcomed eight more children into their family. They passed away within three months of each other in 1857 in Longueuil, Quebec. Small was one of many Aboriginal women who married European fur traders and contributed their skills, knowledge of the language, and culture. While Small and Thompson stayed together for 58 years, many other wives were abandoned by their husbands, who returned to Europe when their mission ended. Thompson got the acknowledgment of North America’s greatest geographer for his exploration and mapping of Canada. Charlotte’s skills and abilities allowed him to accomplish that. But she never received the same recognition as him. The Alberta sculptor Rich Roenisch insisted on including the statue of Small when he was commissioned to create Thompson’s statue. It was the first statue in Canada that commemorates her and honors her contribution. Read more...

Outside the Social services organization, Intersect Youth & Family Services Society resides on a bench the statue of the social worker, activist, and author Bridget Moran (1923-1999). Moran’s sculpture depicts her sitting on one side of a bench. Her left hand rests on the bench’s back while her body is in a listening position, faces the vacant seat, looks directly at the visitor, and welcomes them to join her. Her right hand holds the book she wrote: Stoney Creek Woman. There is a community tradition to dress her statue according to the season. A nearby plaque tells her life story and contribution to Prince George and provides information about the statue. It reads: “Bridget Moran 1923 – 1999 Social worker, activist, and author who worked tirelessly to support families in our region Bridget Moran was born in Northern Ireland and moved to Success, Saskatchewan with her family as a child. She served in the Woman’s Royal Canadian Naval Service between 1944 and 1946. She graduated from the University of Toronto in 1950, moved to British Columbia in 1951, and began work as a social worker for the provincial social welfare department. Bridget moved to Prince George in 1952 and, except for a brief stay in Vancouver, made her home here. From 1977 to 1989, she was a social worker with the Prince George School District. In addition, she worked as a freelance journalist, her work appearing frequently in Prince George newspapers, on CBC radio, and in the Vancouver Sun. She retired in 1989, shortly after having her first book “Stoney Creek Woman: the story of Mary John” published in 1988. She had three other books published including: “Judgment at Stoney Creek,” “A Little Rebellion” and “Justa: A First Nations Leader.” She also authored and self-published “Prince George Remembered,” in 1996. In 1992, Bridget received the Governor General’s Medal commemorating Canada’s 125th anniversary as a Confederation. Bridget was awarded and received an honourary law degree from the University of Northern British Columbia, and in 1996 received another honourary law degree from the University of Victoria. In addition, Bridget was given the Jeanne Clarke History Award and awarded a medal for history by the Lieutenant Governor of B.C. She was a board member of the College of New Caledonia and the Legal Services Society of B.C. She was the mother of two daughters and two sons, and grandmother of five. Special thanks to the City of Prince George, the staff of the College of New Caledonia, the family of Bridget Moran, the BC Association of Social Workers – Northern Branch, Donald S. and Kathleen M. Allan, Douglas Cunningham, Anne and Robert Martin, Arlette and Bilton Park, Paul and Hazel Ramsey, Don and Judy Kennedy, Terence Weninger, and the numerous other friends of Bridget Moran for their generous contributions. This sculpture was created by artist Nathan Scott and unveiled on June 21st, 2004. City of Prince George” Read more...

Along the Harbourfront of her home city of Victoria, on the grounds of the Fairmount Empress Hotel, across the street from Royal BC Museum and the First Nation Totem Pole, stands a bronze statue of the iconic Canadian painter and writer Emily Carr, best known for her Modernist and Post-Impressionist paintings of western coast landscape and First Nations villages. Dedicated on October 13th, 2010, the statue was commissioned by the Parks and Recreation Foundation of Victoria. The Canadian sculptress Barbara Paterson created it. She is famous for her Famous Five Monuments in Ottawa and Calgary. It depicts Carr sitting on a rock, holding a pencil and a sketchpad in one hand and with the other hand reaching to her pet Javanese monkey Woo who sits on her shoulder, while her dog Billie is by her feet. Next to the statue, there is a book-shaped plaque detailing her biography. Emily Carr (1871-1945) was born in Victoria, British Columbia. She showed artistic tendencies from a young age but started to study art professionally only at 19 after her parents died. Carr attended art schools in San Francisco, London, and Paris and developed a unique style of painting characterized by bold and vibrant colors. On her return to Canada, she traveled to First Nations villages, painting the wild nature of the countryside and the indigenous people and their artifacts. Her recognition grew gradually, but only in 1927, at 56, did Carr exhibit her work at the National Gallery of Canada. Afterward, she held exhibitions in the US and Europe. In her late 60s, after suffering several heart attacks and a severe stroke, Carr stopped painting and turned to writing. She published six autobiographical books before she died at the age of 74. A two-minute drive or a 10-minute walk south will get you to Carr House. It was Carr’s childhood home and nowadays is a museum dedicated to telling her life story and exhibiting her art. Read more...

In front of Heffel Fine Art Auction House in Vancouver stands a colored bronze statue of the renowned Canadian artist Emily Carr with her friends – her dog Billie, her monkey Woo, and her horse. Unveiled in 2005, The statue was commissioned by Heffel Fine Art Auction House and created by the Canadian sculptor Joe Fafard (1942-2019). Emily Carr (1871-1945) was born in Victoria, British Columbia. At 19, she relocated to the US to study art at the California School of Design in San Francisco and later continued her education in London and Paris. Over time, Carr developed her signature painting style by using a vibrant color palette. In her late 20s, she began to travel on her horse with her companions, her monkey, and dog, to the First Nations villages on the Canadian West Coast, painting its people and nature. Over time, Carr began to receive recognition for her work, but only at 56 years old did Carr have her first exhibition at the National Gallery, followed by exhibits in Europe and the US, gaining the reputation of a significant Canadian artist. Ill health caused by numerous heart attacks and a stroke prevented her from traveling and painting across the country, and she turned to writing. In 1941, at 70, Carr published her first book, followed by five more within four years. She died at 74. Three hours drive from the statue is Emily Carr House. It is a museum housed in the home she grew up in. On display are several of her original artifacts like the family bible, her belongings, and her art. Read more...

In the heart of Stanley Park lies the E. Pauline Johnson Memorial. Johnson was a prominent Canadian-Indian poet, author, and performer. Also known by her Mohawk stage name Tekahionwake. She was born in 1861 to an English mother and a Mohawk chief father. At an early age, she began writing poems and dreamed of becoming an actress. However, her mother suppressed her dream. When her father passed away, she moved with her mother and sister to Brantford and wrote and published poems to support her family. Her poetry portrayed Indigenous culture, folklore, connection to the land, and “traditional” topics, such as love, landscapes, and Canadian life. In a reading event when she was 31 years old, she discovered her talent to perform poetry, and she started touring Canada with her show. Her popularity grew, and she performed all over North America and England. At 48, Johnson retired from the stage and moved to Vancouver, British Columbia. She continued writing poems and Squamish folklore stories. Four years later, Johnson passed away from Breast Cancer. She was only 52 years old. Johnson loved Stanley Park. She used to canoe in Burrard Inlet when she lived nearby. When she requested burial there, the cemetery was not active, so her body had to be cremated. Her ashes lie beneath her memorial. The Women’s Canadian Club funded the cairn, and the plaque on the stone commemorates their contribution – “Erected in 1922 by the Women’s Canadian Club of Vancouver.” Her face is carved on the largest stone, and the nearby inscription reads “E Pauline Johnson 1861 – 1913.” Another dedication to her reads- “In memory of one whose life and writings were an uplift and a blessing to our nation.” Read more...

Emily Carr House is a museum and a cultural center that celebrates the life and work of Emily Carr (1871-1945), a famous Canadian painter and writer. Carr’s passion for art started at a young age, but only after her parents passed away, at 19, did she start studying art professionally. First in San Francisco, then London, and a few years later in Paris. She traveled across Canada for sketching and painting trips to Aboriginal villages, getting inspired by their culture and tradition, painting the indigenous artifacts and the wild nature of Canada. Still, even though she traveled around Canada, her home base was always Victoria, in a house close to her childhood home, which she called House of All Sorts. Over the years, recognition of her work grew, and she exhibited in the US and Europe. After several heart attacks and a severe stroke in her mid-sixties, she stopped painting and focused on writing. She passed away on March 2nd, 1945. The Carr house was built in 1863 by Emily’s father, in the center of 19th-century Victoria. Emily was born and grew up there with her nine siblings. The house was extensively restored to the 1860s, the years that Carr lived there with her family during her uprising. Although the furniture is not original, a visit to the house will give the experience of English life in Victoria during that period and feature Carr’s writings from her books – The Book of Small and The House of All Sorts. On display are original artifacts like the family bible, her belongings, and art. The museum hosts special events like art and gardening workshops, rotating exhibits, and guided tours of the house and its surroundings. Read more...

During the 1960s, many sex workers had worked in the West End neighborhood in Vancouver. They formed a safe community and supported and took care of each other. Some West End residents objected to their presence and worked to evict them from the neighborhood. The city began to penalize sex workers in 1982, collecting $28,000. In July 1984, B.C. Supreme Court ruled that prostitution was not allowed in the West End. The sex workers left for different neighborhoods, their community, and the supporting system fell apart, making them more vulnerable to crimes against them. Commemorating the sex workers who got evicted from the West End neighborhood in July 1984 in a memorial was the idea of activist and former sex worker Jamie Lee Hamilton and UBC professor Becki Ross. They founded the memorial committee in 2008 and worked with the City of Vancouver and St. Paul’s Anglican Church to create and fund the memorial. The city paid for the cost, which symbiotically was $28,000. The memorial was dedicated on September 16th, 2016. It is a Victorian-style light-post with a red lightbulb, the color of solidarity within sex worker circles. Each side of the base has a different inscription – “Dedicated to a diverse community of sex workers,” “In memory of their ongoing struggles for equality,” “People who lived and worked here from the mid-1960s-1984,” and “Today, we commemorate and honour their lives.” It stands outside St. Paul’s Anglican Church, which always supported the sex workers and was involved in the memorial’s creation. Read more...