New installations at SeaBus terminals spotlight Indigenous artists, languages

New Indigenous artwork and signage is on display at both SeaBus terminals in Metro Vancouver. (TransLink)

Major transportation hubs in Metro Vancouver are putting Indigenous artists and language in the spotlight.

Two new installations can be viewed inside the SeaBus terminals at Waterfront Station and Lonsdale Quay, TransLink revealed on Tuesday.

Indigenous artists ʔəy̓xʷatəna:t Kelly Cannell, Siobhan Joseph, and qʷənat Angela George are behind the displays.

“The artwork is a tribute to the Chinook salmon, which has played an iconic role in life on the West Coast for generations and is a critical part of the ecosystem in Burrard Inlet and the Pacific Ocean,” reads a news release by TransLink.

In an effort to support the revitalization and preservation of Indigenous languages, signage in both hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) accompany the artwork.

The messages greeting transit users translate to “Welcome” and “Welcome to our land and waters.”

“Our hope is that the combination of these cultural recognition pieces will remind us all of the important work we have to do to support lasting and meaningful reconciliation” said Kevin Quinn, TransLink’s CEO.

The new installations have been sampled from the Burrard Chinook Seabus, which was launched in 2021 as part of TransLink’s Transport 2050 Regional Transportation Strategy.

TransLink says the strategy includes “improving our relationships with Indigenous Nations and urban Indigenous Peoples and making progress on reconciliation.”