Gassy Jack Statue

Originally seen as a positive part of the community, being a statue of one of the founding members of Granville, it has somewhat recently been under scrutiny due to the history of the figure the statue is portraying, John Deighton. He once owned a bar in the Granville area called the “Globe Saloon,” with his patrons nicknaming him “Gassy Jack” due to his talkative nature. He was such a pillar of the community that the locals started calling the area around his bar “Gastown.” However, it has come to light that after his wife’s death, he ended up taking her 12 year old niece as his new wife. Activists have petitioned to have the statue removed due to the age of his second wife as well as her ethnicity as both his wives were Squamish women.

The Gassy Jack statue was commissioned in 1970 to promote business in the area. For some, it respects the past and aesthetically complements the area of Gastown. For others, it is a reminder of the colonial history of Canada and how influential members of society can take advantage of more vulnerable groups.