Gassy Jack Statue Toppled in Gastown
Reuters via NBC News
During the annual Downtown Eastside Women’s March on February 14, the Gassy Jack Statue in Vancouver’s Gastown was torn down by protesters.
The Gassy Jack Statue was first put up on February 13, 1970 by four businessmen whose main goals were to improve the economy of Gastown. It was called a Valentine’s Day gift to the city.
John Jack Deighton, the man who the statue is made after, was a Canadian bar owner originally from England who opened the first saloon in Gastown. As he was the first to colonize the area, he is known as the “founding father” of Gastown – hence why the neighbourhood is named after him. However, the name for the statue, Gassy Jack, stems from a nickname Deighton was given due to his talkative nature. Despite all of this, Deighton was a very controversial person, whose life many say isn’t to be celebrated.
As revealed publicly in a 2019 short film titled ‘Red Women Rising’, John Deighton was forty years old when he married a twelve year-old Squamish First Nations child, Quahail-ya, after his previous wife, Quahail-ya’s aunt, died. He then impregnated his child- bride while she was still very young. Quahail-ya found the courage to run away from John Deighton and escape their relationship three years after they had gotten married. The short film that showcased these events sparked heavy criticism against Deighton. He is now seen as a symbol of oppression against Indigenous women.
The destruction of his statue during the Women’s March in February is not the first time that it has been defaced. Back in June 2020, the statue was, again, completely covered in red paint, with a sign that read MMIWG (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls) laying next to it. An online petition to remove the Gassy Jack Statue from Gastown was created after this incident. As of now, it has over 23,000 signatures.
“This is not the kind of person we should be upholding and honouring. A pedophile’s likeness should not be prominently displayed in the centre of Gastown for fun tourist photo ops,” read a comment written by signatory Josh Mckenna in the description of the petition, “This is not about erasing history, but about reconciliation. It is about taking steps towards no longer upholding and enforcing violence and oppression towards the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island.”
Patricia Massy, a local businessperson of Cree and English descent and participant in the demonstrations, described the statue as “insulting... considering the legacy he has with the women of the Squamish Nation,” in an interview with CBC.
After the current toppling of the Gassy Jack Statue in February, Squamish Nation councillor and spokesperson Wilson William released a statement, revealing, “The Squamish Nation had come to an agreement with the City of Vancouver to remove the Gassy Jack Deighton statue. The discussions were ongoing, focused on a culturally safe and respectful process that would bring dignity and healing to all involved.”
As of now, the statue has not been, and will not be put up again. The pedestal on which Gassy Jack once stood was officially removed on April 4 of this year. It is unknown what will replace the infamous statue.