The Spirit of Haida Gwaii; The Jade Canoe
Vancouver International Airport

VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - A SELF-GUIDED TOUR

A Sense of Place: First Nations Art Collection & Architecture in Vancouver International Airport
Domestic Terminal, Level 1

Discover a different world within the Vancouver International Airport. Located just below domestic arrivals, you can experience a collection of supernatural creatures from the Pacific Northwest coast.

• Supernatural World represents Land, Sea and Sky, According to the Pacific Northwest Aboriginal peoples, the realms of the land are inhabited by creatures of nature, but they are also home to spirit powers that can move between realms, transforming themselves at will.

• The artworks including sculptures offer us a glimpse of these supernatural worlds. The Killer Whale, chief of all ocean people, is preyed upon by the legendary Thunderbird. Sharing the land are the Bear and the Human, each reflecting the other's image in a pair of enormous masks. Soaring overhead are the Raven and the Eagle.

The Spirit of Haida Gwaii; The Jade Canoe
International Terminal


Detail; The Jade Canoe sculpture

 Make your way through to the International terminal – follow the signs or ask a Green Coat volunteer for directions. A short walk will take you past international airline check-in until you arrive at the most valuable piece in YVR’s art collection, The Spirit of Haida Gwaii: The Jade Canoe.

The Spirit of Haida Gwaii: The Jade Canoe by Bill Reid, International Terminal, Level 3
• Installed in 1996, this is the most famous piece in YVR’s art collection; it is a bronze casting with a jade green patina.

• Sculpted by world-renowned Haida artist, Bill Reid, this fascinating collection of characters is where millions of visitors stop to take their photographs each year.

• ‘Haida Gwaii’ means ‘Islands of the People,’ while The Jade Canoe represents all living beings of the world.

• The storyboard here provides information about the piece. It can also be seen on the back of the Canadian $20 bill.

Look behind The Jade Canoe to the wall of ocean waves in the distance.

The Great Wave Wall by Lutz Haufschild
International Terminal Departures Level 3
• Made up of thousands of glass pieces representing the ocean, the 40-metre by 10-metre wall forms a dramatic and appropriate backdrop for The Spirit of the Haida Gwaii: The Jade Canoe.

Walk down one level to international arrivals to check out the welcome figures that greet arriving
passengers.

Clayoquot Welcome Figures, by Joe David
International Terminal, Arrivals Level 2
• Carved in the Clayoquot tradition, figures like these were temporarily positioned on the beach in front of villages, with arms raised, to welcome guests to special events.

• These figures stand 3.3 metres tall and provide a dramatic West Coast welcome to travellers.

From Vancouver Tourism...

Photos copyright Anne Gordon

Posted by Anne Gordon on Saturday, 8th January, 2011.