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
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Angst and calls for resting places as Surrey, B.C., pet cemetery development continues
A single headstone is all that remains of dozens of markers for long-buried pets in a subdivision in Surrey’s Newton neighbourhood, where a half-acre parcel bears a large sign announcing the proposed construction of new homes.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.