Paddlers Fascination With Siwash Rock Pre-dates Port
If a rose is a rose by any other name, then the distinctive Vancouver coastal feature known as Siwash Rock will continue to be a fascinating attraction to local paddlers, as it has been for thousands of years, even if it undergoes a name change . As part of Vancouver’s commitment to be a City of Reconciliation the Board of Parks and Recreation is developing a process for renaming this impressive rocky sea stack. Many Vancouverites pass by on the seawall, but to really appreciate “the rock” you need to contemplate it from the water with a paddle in your hand as people have done since people first came to these parts.
The geological explanation for the rock currently known as Siwash: it was once part of the adjoining headland but softer rock around it eroded while the harder basalt sea stack stood strong. There is another story of its origin which, while not likely, seems far more interesting from The Legends of Vancouver by E. Pauline Johnson (Tekahionwake)