BC Ferries unveils Coast Salish art for newest vessel
BC Ferries and the First Peoples' Cultural Council revealed the artwork that will decorate the side of the newest Salish Class ferry.
The design by Penelakut artist Maynard Johnny Jr. shows a heron in flight and will be displayed on the exterior and interior of the Salish Heron.
Along with the artwork, ferry passengers will also be able to read about the relationship that Coast Salish Peoples have with the Salish Sea.
“For me, the story was to present something that people would know by seeing it what it was, but still had to study the piece to understand that it is a majestic bird,” said the artist. “In my territory of Chemainus and Penelakut, before contact, herons were very prominent and we followed them because they were our guide for where all the fish were.”
“Stories from our traditions and our culture can be very basic or they can be very powerful and spiritual,” he said.
Johnny Jr. says his heron design uses vibrant colours like yellow, purple and turquoise, along with varying shades of blue, to express his signature style of Coast Salish art.
“I wanted to create something that was playful, colourful and appealing to the eye,” said Johnny Jr. “I’m taking my art and using it as a vehicle so people can understand how history has affected [First Nations people], because there are so many things that have kept us down and art is a brilliant way to express the beauty of our culture and open the door to talk about these hard topics.”
The design was selected by a committee of Indigenous artists and representatives from BC Ferries. The criteria considered by the committee was the ability to express the vessel’s name through artwork in the Coast Salish artistic style.
The Salish Heron is the fourth Salish Class vessel to display Indigenous art.
BC Ferries says the names of the ferries and the artwork not only recognizes the first people to navigate the Salish Sea, the art also honours indigenous history and culture.
“It's one of the ways our two cultures can connect,” said BC Ferries president and CEO Mark Collins. “We can gain a deeper understanding, get to know one another and that leads to all kinds of potential solutions on more difficult issues.”
Johnny Jr. says he hopes when people see the vessel sail by, they will see his depiction of the heron and ask questions about the culture of the Coast Salish people.
“Being able to share our stories and share our culture and the history of our people is very important to me,” said Johnny Jr. “This is a great way to do that. It’ll open people's minds to listen more about what is happening and what needs to change.”
BC Ferries expects the Salish Heron to join the three other Salish Class vessels on the Gulf Islands routes beginning in the spring. The Salish Heron has the capacity to carry up to 138 vehicles and as many as 600 passengers.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Explosion at train station leads to discovery of stolen car on Montreal's South Shore: police
Police are investigating after a BMW exploded in the St-Lambert Exo train station parking lot on Montreal's South Shore.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
There's progress reported in Gaza truce talks, but Israel downplays chances of ending war with Hamas
A delegation of the Palestinian militant group Hamas was in Cairo on Saturday as Egyptian state media reported "noticeable progress" in cease-fire talks with Israel, though an Israeli official downplayed the prospects for a full end to the war in Gaza.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A candidate for Germany's key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections
A candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left party in next month's election for the European Parliament was beaten up and seriously injured while campaigning in an eastern city, the party said Saturday.