It's been standing watch over Lynn Valley for more than three decades but the totem pole in Kay Borrows Park has rotted, possibly beyond repair.
The District of North Vancouver is planning to bring the pole down sometime this month, citing safety issues.
"The totem pole is getting to be a concern because it's getting very old and there's some structural defects in the pole that may result in it falling," said district parks manager Judy Rogers. "We had an arborist and a structural engineer look at it and the recommendation from both is to remove it."
The pole at Lynn Valley Road and 29th Street is rife with dry rot, burrowing insects, birds making nests in decayed nooks and woodpeckers, Rogers said.
The pole is the work of the late Ken Mayo, the district's former sign maker. Mayo was not a member of any of the Coast Salish First Nations, but carved the pole for the district in the late 1970s. The district has since informed Mayo's son about the pole's removal and put the word out on its website and social media channels.
That stoked some keen interest from Brad Baker, the North Vancouver school district's head of aboriginal programming.
"When I saw that tweet by the district, I thought 'Oh man, it's a perfect opportunity for the students in the Lynn Valley area, through our carving program, to restore it if it's restorable," Baker said.
If possible, Baker said he'd like to recruit local First Nations artist to help teach both aboriginal and nonaboriginal students and bring it back to its original colours and shape.
"If you look at the bigger picture down the road, there's a belief on my part that every school should have a Squamish or Tsleil-Waututh welcome pole at its entrance," he said.
Right now, the only two North Vancouver high schools that don't have an authentic Coast Salish pole are Argyle and Mountainside secondary, Baker said.
Rogers said she's open to all pitches for what comes of the pole but it will be dependent on what shape it's in. Engineers won't know for sure until they get it on the ground.
It's highly likely the district will replace the pole with a new piece of public art to accompany the redevelopment of the adjacent Lynn Valley Centre. Any new art for Kay Burrows Park would be selected in consultation with the surrounding community groups, Rogers said.
