Emily Carr

One very aspiring women with a well-built attachment to Vancouver is Emily Carr. Emily was born in Victoria on December 13th 1871. Emily’s parents were English and had decided to move to Vancouver Island on the basis that it is a colony of Britain therefore the family could continue living with English traditions instilled. As a child drawing fascinated Emily and at age 18 she left to San Francisco to attend Design school. Aboriginal people of Vancouver inspired many of Emily’s early work. In 1899 Emily went to school in London, where she discovered that she needed to stray from the traditional form of art so she began to learn about modernist art. Learning about modernist art led her to go to France where she discovered her own style and brought this back to her hometown in Victoria. Between these phases she also taught art classes to young children.

As a young Vancouver artist Emily had the potential of being a great role model with her passion for Aboriginal culture, numerous works of art and respectable education however, her success had fallen short. In her time Emily was one of the first female artists therefore creating a stepping-stone for other female painters. Being recognized as an artist had become a difficult task for Emily. Her career after coming back from France was not so successful due to the lack of encouragement and support.

Emily’s career began to pick up once she started to exhibit her work at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. Her work became recognized throughout the world. She soon shifted her focus from aboriginal theme to works of nature.

When Emily began to experience health issues she started to spend her time writing instead of painting. In total she wrote 5 books, her first one won a Governor General’s Award.

It can be proudly said that Emily is a representation of Vancouver with her determination to break new grounds such as bringing the native culture to life and opening doors to emerging artists. Her shift in artwork to nature also aided in focusing societies attention to environmental concerns. In tribute to her talent there have been many education establishments named after her such as Emily Carr elementary school and Emily Carr University of Art and Design.

CAPTAIN GEORGE VANCOUVER

 It would be unjust to write of the great men and women of Vancouver and leave out the one man who may have had the biggest impact on this city and this region. The man whom after this great city is named, Captain George Vancouver.

George Vancouver was born in June 1757 in Norfolk, England.  Captain Vancouver was an English officer of the British Royal Navy. In his early days he was a midshipman where he learned the ropes from of the best, Captain James Cooks. Captain Cook is known to be one of the greatest explorers of all time. Vancouver joined Cook on his second and third voyages which explored the South Pacific and Hawaiian Islands respectively. Upon returning he was made a lieutenant.

Two monumental moments for the city of Vancouver were 1778, which is when Captain Cook claimed the area for the United Kingdom, and during the late 1780’s when Britain and Spain were on the verge of war over the ownership and right to colonize/settle the Pacific Northwest Coast, present day Vancouver Island and its surroundings. Without going into the long story and details this debate was resolved by the first Nootka Convention and from this command of the Discovery ship was given to Captain Vancouver as he was sent to survey and take possession of Nookta Sound, present day Vancouver Island.

Sails were set in 1791 and Captain Vancouver after sailing through and past Australia, New Zealand, China and up the coast of Oregon and Washington finally arrived at Vancouver Island on April 29 1792. After arriving he spent several months surveying and mapping out every inlet and outlet he could find. His charts and maps were so accurate that he, as Vice President of Mount Royal University Robin Fisher states,

“drew up a map of the north-west coast that was accurate to the 9^th degree, to the point it was still being used into the modern day as a navigational aid. That’s unusual for a map from that early a time”

Originally Captain Vancouver had met a Spanish captain while receiving back British possessions and the Island was called as a combination of their names, Quadra and Vancouver Island. Spanish influence in the area died off and the name was then shortened to Vancouver Island. For all we know if the influence had not worn of this great city of ours could be called city of Quadra instead of Vancouver. Eventually in 1885 when the City of Vancouver was created and a name was to be chosen nothing seemed more fitting then to honour the great Captain George Vancouver.

 

Information credited and sourced from:

www.canadahistory.com/sections/eras/eras.html
ttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Vancouver