Portal to Our Heritage - Departure Bay

Kin Park, St'litlup (Departure Bay)

Nanaimo was one of four Canadian cities to be selected as a Cultural Capital site in 2008. The three part Portal to our Heritage series is the legacy project of Nanaimo's Cultural Capital designation, which was supported by the Government of Canada, Department of Canadian Heritage, Ministry of Environment, BC Parks and Protected Areas, the City of Nanaimo, and Snuneymuxw First Nation. These parties worked together to facilitate the creation of the three public artworks, all of which are created by Snuneymuxw and are situated at sites of cultural significance. Each Portal to our Heritage shares local legends and serves to mark the importance of the traditional sites in which they are located.

James Johnny Sr. and his son, James Johnny Jr. created the St’litlup (Departure Bay) portal, composed of three carved posts. The left and right post are two eagles, and the top post is two whales. The whale is the family crest for James Johnny Sr., son of Allan Gordon James Johnny. The posts face the water because they are intended to welcome guests, and traditionally visitors to the area would arrive by boat. St’litlup (Departure Bay) functioned as the primary village site for Snuneymuxw.

The St’litlup (Departure Bay) portal was first to be shared with the public in July, 2008. The events of the day included the public carving of the Spirit Pole for the 2008 North American Indigenous Games, welcoming the arrival of the Tribal Journey canoes, and the portal's unveiling. The Jack Point portal, an ancient salmon petroglyph, was returned to its place in fall 2008. The final portal on Saysutshun (Newcastle Island) was completed in March, 2009.

James Johnny Sr. and James Johnny Jr. have their work installed in several prominent places around Nanaimo. In 2017, the father and son team were commissioned to create artwork for the Regional District of Nanaimo. Their steel panels titled Killer Whale, Thunderbird and Salmon hang in the RDN Administration Building. They also created a 10-foot-tall cedar carving for Vancouver Island University’s Library in 2009. In 2018, their project The Raven, was installed on the exterior of the South Fork Water Treatment Plant.

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