Two new art installations have been unveiled in Victoria’s Inner Harbour as part of the Lək̓ʷəŋən Placemaking Project. The first to be revealed on Tuesday morning was an interpretive installation on the harbour’s lower causeway. It features five structures that explain the historical and cultural connection between the Lək̓ʷəŋən people with the harbour that has been ongoing for thousands of years. Songhees First Nations artist Melissa McClurg is one of the artists that worked on the project. “Where we are it’s called xwsəyq’әm and it means Place of Mud, but this is always where we gathered, where we harvested and where we’ve traded, so with education we’re getting the locals to know that we’re still here and this is our history,” said McClurg. Renowned Songhees First Nations elder and artist Butch Dick also worked to bring the new installation to life. “I think it speaks to the Lək̓ʷəŋən culture, not only our language, but the teachings,” said Dick. “You know we are the original people of this land and these are monuments that now speak to that.” The second display is in Destination Greater Victoria’s Visitor Information Centre. It’s two pieces of artwork created by xʷsepsəm Nation artist Darlene Gait. One is a massive metal work, with the other being created in etched glass. The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority began installing placemaking art in the harbour in 2024, created by a number of Indigenous artists. The purpose of the project is to transform Victoria’s Inner Harbour into a more vibrant, inclusive, and culturally rich public space by highlighting the lək̓ʷəŋən people’s connection to the area.
