Right in front of you is a striking red metal sculpture shaped like the ribs of a boat, elevated on two concrete pillars and surrounded by wavy brick planters. This is the Captain George Vancouver Monument Plaza, featuring Jay Rood's 1992 artwork, the Boat of Discovery. The wavy planters you see are actually part of the art, designed to mimic the flowing Columbia River.
But here is the ultimate twist of historical irony. Captain George Vancouver never actually laid eyes on the area that would eventually become this city. While Vancouver stayed safely near the mouth of the river with his primary ships, it was his subordinate, Lieutenant William Robert Broughton, who made the grueling journey. On October 31st, 1792, Broughton rowed a 24-foot small boat nearly a hundred miles upstream. Stopped by the rapids, he officially claimed the territory for Great Britain and named it Point Vancouver to honor his commander.
Our waterfront has seen its share of near disasters, and this very plaza almost became a casualty. Decades after it was built, the massive Columbia River Crossing freeway project threatened to widen the interstate directly above us. Moving the metal boat would be easy, but relocating these complex wave like brick planters meant tearing them apart completely. It was a threat that would have effectively destroyed the artwork. Fortunately, the highway project was terminated, allowing this unique space to survive against the odds.
Now, let us walk just three minutes down the path to find a much more personal, grassroots monument at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Memorial Plaza.
