Zac George Welcome Pole
Discover Indigenous art in Vancouver!
səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh)
Zac George · Pacific Coliseum · 100 North Renfrew Street, Vancouver, BC
səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) · Medium: Carving · PNE approval secured
This pole honours a man who carried his Nation's story into the world — and who carried the wolf, the killer whale, and the inlet with him everywhere he went.
The Work
Chief Dan George was chief of the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation, author, poet, and Academy Award-nominated actor — one of the most widely recognised Indigenous voices of the twentieth century. This pole, carved by his grandson Zac George, honours his legacy and the lineage he carried.
Chief Dan George descended from the wolf clan. The wolf holds particular significance in Tsleil-Waututh culture and is woven into the traditional story of the Nation's origin. The carving features a killer whale — an animal deeply honoured by the Tsleil-Waututh people, who are known as the People of the Inlet. In times past, killer whales travelled freely through the waters of the Burrard Inlet, sharing the territory with the Nation that has stewarded those waters since time immemorial.
The pole stands at the Pacific Coliseum in East Vancouver — a public space that has hosted millions of visitors over the decades. It extends a welcome on behalf of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation to everyone who passes through, in the tradition of a people whose welcome has always been genuine and always been here.
Know Before You Go
Located at the Pacific Coliseum, 100 North Renfrew Street, Vancouver. Accessible year-round from the exterior grounds. Viewable from the surrounding plaza without requiring entry to any venue.
Best time to visit: Quietest on non-event days. During PNE season (late August to early September) and major Coliseum events, the surrounding area is busy — plan accordingly.
From the VCC: 20 minutes by SkyTrain Expo Line to Renfrew Station, then a short walk north.
From YVR: Canada Line to Waterfront, then Expo Line to Renfrew Station. Approximately 40 minutes.
Getting There
By Transit — SkyTrain Expo Line to Renfrew Station. The Pacific Coliseum is a 5-minute walk north on Renfrew Street.
On Foot — 20 minutes east from Commercial Drive along Hastings Street.
By Vehicle — Enter via Renfrew Street north from Hastings Street. Parking available in the PNE lots surrounding the Coliseum.
CONTINUE THE TRAIL
→ k̓ʷə səlilwətaɬ syəwenəɬ ct · TsuKwalton (Jonas Jones) · Deer Lake Park, Burnaby · 6.9 km
→ Syewá:l (Ancestors) House Post · Zachary George · Corrigan Nature House · 5.1 km
→ Serpent Slayer at təmtəmíxʷtən · TsuKwalton (Jonas Jones) · Belcarra Regional Park · [distance]
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Serpent Slayer - Welcome Pole
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At Belcarra Regional Park, on the shores of Burrard Inlet, stands a welcome pole carved by Tsleil-Waututh master carver TsuKwalton (Jonas Jones). It carries one of the Nation's most powerful origin stories — of a young boy swept away by seals, raised in the sea kingdom, and returned to his people as a warrior who could face what no one else could. This is his territory. This is where that story happened. The pole brings it back to the shore where it belongs.
“Return of the Orca” Welcome pole
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Return of the Orca” Welcome pole at Whey-ah-Wichen (Cates Park) in North Vancouver, carved by TsuKwalton Jonas Jones. the Return of the Orca carries the story of Great Chief wacəq II, whose deep relationship with the salmon and the natural world continues to guide Tsleil-Waututh teachings today.
