Residents and visitors to North Vancouver who visit Murdo Frazer Park next to the newly rebuilt Capilano Substation will be greeted by a new Sḵwx̱wú7mesh welcome figure.
Last week, Squamish Nation elders and artists gathered in the park to unveil and bless a new welcome figure, carved by artists Delmar Joseph Jr. and his sister Siobhan Joseph.
Elder Aaron Williams shared that in Squamish culture, when a tree is transformed into a figure it's not simply a physical change, but a spiritual rebirth. What was once considered dead is given new life, and ceremonial work is required to honour and bless this transformation. "The ceremony is an integral part of the process," said artist Delmar Joseph Jr., "it will breathe life into the welcome figure and infuse it with a spirit of warmth, hospitality and cultural heritage." The unveiling ceremony marked a significant moment: the spiritual bond between the wood carvers and the figure was respectfully severed, as the figure took its place in the park where it now stands as a permanent guardian and symbol of welcome for the community.
Squamish Elder Aaron Williams explains the symbolism and spiritual work occurring during the blessing ceremony.
A new chapter for Capilano Substation
The welcome figure stands in the park adjacent to our newly energized Capilano Substation, which replaced a facility that had been in service since the 1950s. The new substation is the first on the North Shore to provide 25 kilovolt power, which allows us to connect more customers and provides more options to restore power following an outage. Constructing the new facility within the footprint of the old one—while keeping it operational—was a complex undertaking.
"This is one of the more complicated large urban construction projects we've done," says Al Leonard, BC Hydro Executive Vice-President of Capital Infrastructure Project Delivery. "The substation is in a beautiful area with a municipal park, there's a public golf course nearby and it's an extremely popular spot with locals and as a filming location. We wanted to get it right to maintain all those relationships."
"To support the project, we needed to use this space within a park as our construction laydown area," says project manager Josh Robinson. "As part of our agreement with the District of North Vancouver to use the space during construction we've built two new picnic shelters and commissioned the welcome figure. It's exciting to get to this stage and see the vision for this park come to life."
Honouring relationships and legacy
Perhaps the most meaningful part of the project was how we worked together with Squamish Nation to build it. "We have a long and complex history together, and the welcome figure is a display of the relationship we're building and the progress we've made throughout the years. We were able to direct award all major construction packages to Squamish Nation designated businesses as part of this project," says Indigenous Relations project lead Michaela Mamonluk. "The substation was almost entirely constructed by Squamish partners."
The welcome figure is not only a symbol of relationships built through the project, it also carries deep personal meaning for the artists. During the blessing ceremony, carver Siobhan Joseph shared that as she was working on the figure with her brother, her father Delmar Joseph Sr. passed away. After taking time away from carving to mourn, they came back to the figure and noticed symbols in the wood grain that reminded them of their father. They adjusted their original plan for painting the figure to leave more space for the natural designs in the wood to come to life.
Artist Siobhan Joseph explains the meaning of the symbols on the figure and shares about her father’s legacy as a carver.
The carving has bear and deer prints to represent the animals that live in the forest surrounding the substation and water to represent the creek that runs down the mountain near the park. "As I conceptualize and design the welcome figures that I carve, I prioritize the principles of truth and reconciliation," says Delmar. "I ensure that the essence of truth and reconciliation is intricately woven into the artistic process. Embracing Coast Salish designs, I strive to create a visual representation that authentically embodies these principles."
A lasting gift to the community
The welcome figure will greet community members and visitors to the park for generations to come. It honours the land, the people, and the partnerships that made this transformation possible, and it's a symbol of what we can achieve when we partner with First Nations.