After nearly two months, the District of Kitimat and the Haisla Nation Council have chosen two artists to decorate the new Haisla Bridge.
October saw the district release a call for Haisla artists to design pieces representing eight Haisla clans. Five of the crests are currently in use by the nation, the Beaver, Raven, Eagle, Salmon, and Killer Whale/Black Fish. While the other three are memorial crests, the Crow, Frog, and Wolf which have no modern members.
Paul Windsor and Nathan Wilson will design four pieces each, with their designs being carved into metal panels and integrated into the railing, being back-lit so that they remain visible through the night.
Both Windsor and Wilson are Haisla, with Windsor saying that he feels a deep connection with the area of the bridge specifically, recounting playing under the old Haisla bridge as a kid.
“Once I’m done designing, you know, the designs, the images, the artwork, they belong to the public after that”, Wilson said of his excitement of being a part of the project.
Nathan Wilson’s eagle design.
Kitimat started upgrading the old Haisla Bridge in June of 2021 and announced in October 2022 that they have reached 73 percent completion. Though they have paused construction until February 2023, the district expects the new bridge to be substantially completed by 2023.
