Every picture tells a story, and FortisBC has been busy with a very intentional narrative through commissioned artwork of Indigenous artists.
The initiative acknowledges the Traditional Territories in which FortisBC operates and fosters knowledge of the history and traditions that accompany them, the utility said.
Last year, a FortisBC facility in downtown Salmo, British Columbia, underwent significant upgrades and presented the perfect opportunity to showcase the talents of Damian John, a Tl’azt’en artist who designed and painted a mural on a 9-foot concrete fence surrounding the facility.
“To be treated with respect by both the Village of Salmo and FortisBC as the professional I am is wonderful and a real testament to some of the nuances of the Reconciliation work being done by businesses and communities in this country [Canada],” John said in a news release.
In addition, renovations at FortisBC’s Willingdon Park office in Burnaby include a Host Nation Wall, to showcase the Traditional Territories where employees live and work, as well as artwork by Kelly Cannell, a Coast Salish artist from the Musqueam Nation. The wall also features a translation of the utility’s land acknowledgment into hənq̓ə̓minə̓m', a traditional language of the Coast Salish peoples. —Carolyn Kimmel
