Statue of John Deighton

A statue of John Deighton was commissioned in 1970, and was sculpted by Vern Simpson. Its location moved to various spots in Vancouver's Gastown neighborhood, in British Columbia, Canada.[1] It was finally installed at a spot near where Deighton (also known as "Gassy Jack") had opened the Globe Saloon in 1867.[2][3] On February 14, 2022, the statue was toppled by protesters.[4]

Statue of John Deighton
The statue in 2003
ArtistVern Simpson
SubjectJohn Deighton
ConditionRemoved
LocationVancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Coordinates49.283322°N 123.104257°W / 49.283322; -123.104257

History

Deighton (November 1830 – May 23, 1875) was a Canadian bar owner who was born in Hull, England. He travelled to California and then New Caledonia (now British Columbia, Canada) as a gold prospector, before operating bars in New Westminster and later on the south side of Burrard Inlet.[5] The area later became known as Gastown, from Deighton's nickname "Gassy Jack".

The statue was sculpted by Vern Simpson, after being commissioned in 1970 by a group of Gastown developers,[1] and over the years, moved to various locations in Vancouver's Gastown neighborhood. It came to rest at the intersection of Carrall and Water streets, near where Deighton had built the Globe Saloon in 1867, one of the first buildings in Vancouver.

In B.C. in 1870, the legal age of marriage was 12 years old with parental consent, and 21 years old without parental consent. In 1870, Gassy Jack Deighton, at 40 years old, married 12 year old Quahail-ya.[6]

"Cease Wyss — or T'uy't'tanat — is a Squamish cultural leader and has researched Squamish women for years.

According to Squamish oral history, the 12-year-old Indigenous girl eventually ran away from her much-older husband at the age of 15. Wyss says this makes her a model for Indigenous women to look up to.

Archival documents from the City of Vancouver Archives say Quahail-ya did marry Deighton at 12 years old after her aunt died. The archives make no mention of an escape at age 15, but say Quahail-ya moved to North Vancouver after Deighton's death. She died in 1948 at approximately 90 years old."[2]

In June 2020, a petition calling for its removal had gathered over 1,500 signatures in five days,[6][7] eventually reaching over 23,000 signatures.[8] It was toppled on February 14, 2022, by protesters during the 31st annual Women's Memorial March for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.[4] The pedestal was removed on April 4, 2022.[9]

See also

References
  1. "Pioneer Maple Tree Monument to Captain John Deighton". Vancouver Heritage Foundation. Archived from the original on July 22, 2019.
  2. Sciarpelletti, Laura (June 30, 2019). "Indigenous activists say the story of Gassy Jack is missing sordid details". CBC News. Archived from the original on June 5, 2022. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  3. Judd, Amy (2022-02-15). "Gassy Jack statue in Vancouver's Gastown toppled during women's memorial march, video shows | updated". Global News.ca. Archived from the original on 2022-02-16. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  4. Anderson, Sarah (2022-02-14). "Protesters topple Vancouver's Gassy Jack statue in Gastown". DH News. Vancouver: The Daily Hive. Archived from the original on 2022-02-15. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  5. Hull, Raymond; Ruskin, Olga (1971). Gastown's Gassy Jack. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada: Gordon Soules Economic Research. ISBN 0919574017.
  6. Britten, Liam (June 16, 2020). "Vancouver's Gassy Jack statue defaced, petition calls for its removal". CBC News. Archived from the original on February 25, 2022. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  7. Judd, Amy. "Vandals target Vancouver's Gassy Jack statue, considered a symbol of Indigenous oppression". GlobalNews.ca. Archived from the original on February 16, 2022. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  8. Slepian, Katya (14 February 2022). "Video shows 'Gassy Jack' statue toppled in Vancouver during women's memorial march". North Delta Reporter. Greater Vancouver: Black Press. Archived from the original on 14 February 2022. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  9. "Gassy Jack statue's pedestal removed in final step after toppling". Global News. April 4, 2022. Archived from the original on May 26, 2022. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
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