First Nations artist refurbishes totems originally carved with father in Brentwood Bay, B.C.

First Nations carver Bear Horne is restoring five totems he originally worked on with his father in Vancouver Island’s Brentwood Bay.

A carver from the Tsawout First Nation is restoring one of five totems he originally worked on with his father at a park in Vancouver Island’s Brentwood Bay – and it’s spurring community interest.

“We’ve had some community members come by and visit and ask questions,” says carver Bear Horne. “I’m happy to be here.”

The carver is working in HEL,HILEȻ Park near the Greater Victoria Public Library’s Central Saanich branch. People can see Horne peeling back layers of wood on a totem called The Protector from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. from July 22-24 and continuing until July 31, or until the totem is restored.

“This pole here has the thunderbird on top and wolf on the bottom. And they were designs my dad chose,” says Horne. “The thunderbird is like a protector in our culture.”

According to the District of Central Saanich, Horne’s father Doug LaFortune was commissioned to create welcome signs by the Saanichton Village Association in 2012. There are five of them in total, and include the heron, eagle, orca and raven. Each one represents a core value for local First Nations people.

The father and son say they carved them together – and now Horne will carry on the legacy by restoring all of them over the coming months.

“It’s wonderful. It’s a thing you hope for. You never think it will come to happen but I’m very, very happy and very proud of him,” says LaFortune.

“Traditionally, we wouldn’t really refinish them”, says Horne.

“We’d let them go through their lifetime and then fall down and go back to the earth, but I think it’s a little bit of a monument for the community, a representation of our territory and our ancestors and stuff. So, I think it’s a good idea to keep it revitalized and keep it clean and nice.”