Iconic totem pole being relocated from Stanley Park to UBC Museum of Anthropology
One of the iconic totem poles at Stanley Park's Brockton Point is being relocated after nearly 40 years, the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation has announced.
The Kakaso'las totem pole, carved by Kwakwaka'wakw artist Ellen Neel, has been on loan from UBC's Museum of Anthropology since 1985, and is being returned next month.
"Specialists have been hired to carefully relocate the totem pole in one piece," said Julia Hulbert, who oversees the park board's public art, monuments and memorials program.
The six-metre pole features the Thunderbird with a whale on its chest, a sea bear holding a killer whale, Bak'was (the "Wild Man of the Woods"), and other figures.
The artwork has become a Stanley Park fixture that's captivated locals and tourists alike, but officials said its condition is deteriorating after many decades on display.
"Many poles, once they reach around the 40-year mark – like the rest of us, things require a little bit more care," Hulbert said.
The Kakaso'las totem pole dates back even longer. Neel carved it in 1955, at what Hulbert described as an "informal carving pavilion" at Ferguson Point, with help from her sons Robert, Dave and John, but the pole spent around 30 years in Edmonton before being returned to Vancouver.
The next relocation, which is happening in co-ordination with the museum and Neel's family, is scheduled for Sept. 4. That gives Stanley Park visitors less than three weeks to view the artwork in its current location.
"Any protocols or ceremony that may need to take place for the pole’s relocation are being decided by the family of Ellen Neel," the park board said in a news release.
After arriving at the Museum of Anthropology, the totem pole will be examined, restored and treated.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's St. John Alexander
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.7033216.1726021317!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
FACT CHECK: A look at the false and misleading claims made during the Trump-Harris debate
In their first and perhaps only debate, former U.S. president Donald Trump and U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris described the state of the country in starkly different terms. As the two traded jabs, some old false and misleading claims emerged along with some new ones.
Key takeaways from a debate that featured tense clashes and closed with a Taylor Swift endorsement
Donald Trump and Kamala Harris faced each other on the debate stage for the first — and possibly the last — time.
Some restaurants have increased their default tip options. Canadians think you should give this much
Despite what the default options on the payment terminal might read, most Canadians still want to tip around 15 per cent, according to a new survey.
Calls for more protections for Canadian bank clients amid rise in scams
When two Ontario women were scammed out of more than $80,000 in separate bank investigator scams, they thought they would be reimbursed by their banks and were shocked when they weren't.
Quebec woman wins MAID case to die at home after legal fight with landlord
A woman who requested medical assistance in dying (MAID) won a major case in front of the Quebec rental board. She wanted to die at home, but her landlord didn't want her to.
'EI kind of folks': Cape Breton MP criticized for comment about Atlantic Canadians
Nova Scotia Liberal MP Jaime Battiste is taking some heat for a remark about Atlantic Canadians.
Harris-Trump U.S. presidential debate offers different visions for America's future
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump made their case to American voters during a debate in Philadelphia, during which the Democratic U.S. vice president and former Republican U.S. president laid out different visions for America's future.
Trump repeats false claims over 2020 election loss, deflects responsibility for Jan. 6
Former U.S. president Donald Trump persisted in saying during the presidential debate that he won the 2020 election and took no responsibility for any of the mayhem that unfolded at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, when his supporters stormed the building to block the peaceful transfer of power.
Taylor Swift endorses Kamala Harris for U.S. president after debate ends
Taylor Swift, one of the music industry's biggest stars, endorsed Kamala Harris for president shortly after the debate ended on Tuesday night.