Female Welcome Figure

Honoring the Matriarchs of the West Coast · 1580 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC

xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) · Carvers: Chystal & Chris Sparrow · Carving · Cedar: 300-year-old red cedar from Squamish Territory

She was already 300 years old when she became a Welcome Figure. She has more to say now than ever.

The Work 

Standing outside the Vancouver School Board Education Centre on West Broadway, the Female Welcome Figure was carved from a red cedar tree that had been growing in Squamish Territory for three centuries before a knife ever touched it. The tree was brought forward through a respectful ceremony of gratitude — acknowledged before the work began.

She was carved to bring education and reconciliation together — a figure for multi-cultural communities to gather around and learn from. She represents the grandmothers, mothers, aunties, sisters, and daughters of the West Coast, and extends that representation outward to all First Nations and non-First Nations women.

At her crown is a Coast Salish killer whale, representing the Salish Sea and its salmon. The whale carries a warrior face in place of the blowhole, signifying the deep relationship between the warrior and the killer whale from transformation legends passed through generations. The red and black paint are traditional Indigenous colours. The copper represents healing.

At the base, she wears a traditional cedar hat and long cedar blanket bearing Coast Salish form lines. Woven into the blanket's design are art forms and colours from Cree and Ojibwa cultures — a deliberate act of respect for the presence of other First Nations on this land. She is a Coast Salish figure, and she carries room for everyone.

Know Before You Go

Outdoors on the grounds of the Vancouver School Board Education Centre. Viewable year-round from the street — no entry to the building required. Open plaza setting with good sightlines from the sidewalk.

Best time to visit: Weekday mornings when the area is quietest. The Education Centre is an active school administration building — be mindful of the working environment

Getting There

By Transit — 99 B-Line or any Broadway bus to Fir Street, 2-minute walk west. Or SkyTrain Canada Line to Broadway-City Hall Station, 10-minute walk west along Broadway.

On Foot — 12 minutes west from Granville Street. Easy to incorporate into a walk between the Granville corridor and Kitsilano.

By Vehicle — Street parking on West Broadway and surrounding side streets. Small visitor lot at the Education Centre — check availability.

By Bike — The Broadway cycling route runs directly past the site. Bike racks outside the Education Centre entrance.

From YVR: 30 minutes by Canada Line to Broadway-City Hall, then walk west on Broadway.

From the VCC: 20 minutes by transit via the 2 or 22 bus to Burrard Bridge, then west on Broadway.

CONTINUE THE TRAIL

→  xʷməθkʷəy̓əm Welcome Figures & Reconciliation Pole · Vancouver School Board · Same site · 0 km

→  Human Spirit · Susan Point · Vancouver Convention Centre · 5 km

→  People Amongst the People · Susan Point · Brockton Point, Stanley Park · 6 km