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...

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...