Serpent Slayer - Welcome Pole

təmtəmíxʷtən (Belcarra Regional Park)

səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh)

TsuKwalton (Jonas Jones) · Belcarra Regional Park, Belcarra, BC

səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) · Medium: Carving · Installed: 2023

Long ago, a boy was taken by seals. The sea world made him a warrior. He came back to slay the serpent that no one else could face.

The Work

Long ago, as the waters of the great flood receded, sʔi:ɬqəy̓ — the great two-headed serpent — lay across səl̓ilwət (Burrard Inlet). It was a sƛeləqəm, a powerful being, and all living creatures feared it. Its gaze was more deadly than lightning. No one could approach it.

One day, a young səlilwətaɬ boy living at təmtəmíxʷtən was swept away by a seal while swimming alone as his sister watched. The seals took him in and raised him as their own. The sea world prepared him — a decade of travelling, training, learning, and living with his kin of the sea kingdom. When he finally returned to the surface world, he carried with him everything he needed to face the task that had been waiting for him.

He slayed sʔi:ɬqəy̓. And in doing so, freed the inlet.

This pole, carved by TsuKwalton (Jonas Jones) and installed at təmtəmíxʷtən in 2023, carries that story in cedar. It stands in the place where the story was first lived — on the shores of the inlet where the serpent once lay, and where the səlilwətaɬ people have been stewards of these waters since time immemorial.

Click Here to watch and learn more of the story of the Serpent Slayer and hear from the artist

Know Before You Go

Located within Belcarra Regional Park. Accessible year-round, free of charge. The pole is best experienced by walking around its full circumference — the carving tells the story from multiple angles.

Best time to visit: Morning hours when the light on the water is still and the park is quietest.

Getting There

By Transit — SeaBus from Waterfront Station downtown to Lonsdale Quay — 12 minutes across the Burrard Inlet. From Lonsdale Quay, connect east by bus toward Deep Cove, Maplewood, or Phibbs Exchange depending on your stop. Allow 35–60 minutes from downtown.

By Vehicle — Cross the Second Narrows Bridge (Highway 1) or Lions Gate Bridge and follow signs toward the North Shore. Most Trail sites on the North Shore are 20–40 minutes from downtown Vancouver by vehicle.

By Bike — The North Shore Spirit Trail cycling path connects Lonsdale Quay to the Maplewood and Deep Cove corridor.

From the VCC: SeaBus from Waterfront Station — 12 minutes to Lonsdale Quay. The crossing travels through the traditional waters of the səlilwətaɬ people.

From YVR: Canada Line to Waterfront Station, then SeaBus. Approximately 40 minutes to Lonsdale Quay.