The eagle has landed
Due to illness, the official July 11 unveiling of a 40-foot cedar eagle by a master carver from Sechelt Nation at Klahowya Village in Stanley Park has been postponed.
Richard Krentz is recognized worldwide as one of Canadas most renowned aboriginal artists. He specializes in creating gold and silver jewelry featuring Coast Salish designs and is recognized as a leading carver of totem poles and masks.
The carved eagle, mounted above a stage at Klahowya Village, has feathers made from cedar shakes and includes curved pieces to create the illusion of motion. Krentz chose to carve an eagle because of the birds significance to Coast Salish mythology.
When an eagle flies, it sees the big picture containing in itself the means of flight, Krentz wrote in a press release. Understanding the eagles power and our limitations places us into our environment with a sense of modesty. This makes the eagle an important part of Coast Salish culture and its teachings.
Another highlight at this years display is the story of the mysterious and legendary sasquatch, which was the inspiration for a puppet show created by Krentz.
Klahowya Village is located at the Miniature Train on Pipeline Road in Stanley Park.
Lending pass
The park board wants to make it easier for low-income residents to visit Vancouver attractions through a lending program that operates similar to a library card.
If approved, residents will be able to sign out a Family Lending Pass from the Vancouver Public Library for cultural venues, recreation facilities and attractions. That list could include museums, horticulture attractions, gardens, art galleries, science centres and recreation facilities.
Some of the attractions confirmed so far include Bloedel Conservatory, HR MacMillan Space Centre, Museum of Anthropology, park board pools, fitness centres, rinks and pitch and putt courses, Museum of Vancouver and VanDusen Botanical Garden.
The passes will be loaned out for a short period of time and will be structured in a way so that residents who can afford to pay wont have access to them. Such lending programs provide low-income families and individuals an opportunity to participate in cultural and recreational activities they otherwise could not afford. If approved, the program will be re-evaluated in one year to ensure none of the participating partners are losing money. Similar programs have been successfully implemented in other Canadian cities such as Toronto, Hamilton, Ottawa and Victoria.
Duck walk
Former Courier writer Pat Johnson sent us a YouTube video to enjoy and we thought it was too great not to share.
Kyle Berger, an employee of the Jewish Community Centre on West 41st Avenue told me when he arrived at the centre this past weekend, building manager Jason Marques was attempting to collect 13 ducklings and their mother wandering the parking lot.
The men scooped up the babies and placed them in a cardboard box with a plan to relocate the family somewhere safe. But when the mother duck refused to cooperate, the men walked the entire family over to VanDusen Garden with the babies in the box and mom waddling behind. The journey included harrowing trips across both Oak and West 41st, all caught on video, which you can find with the online version of this story on our site at vancourier.com.
sthomas@vancourier.com
Twitter: sthomas10
