Commemorating the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of the Crown Colony of British Columbia at Fort Langley, Kwantlen First Nation carver Drew Atkin created the ‘Story of the Salmon’, a wooden sculpture that consists of four Coast Salish House boards.

PFS Studio was responsible for strengthening connections and accessibility within the site and to the adjacent town whilst respecting the significant historic integrity of the site, and for situating the sculpture within the landscape – adjacent to the Fort and a bronze statue of James Douglas.

The setting for the carving benefits from the gentle slope of the hill and views to the surrounding meadow and river. It is positioned in a location where light shines through and cast shadows across the landscape. The art piece animates the pathway and creates a large welcoming space or ‘front door’ to the Fort. The project seeks to give form to oral traditions in history and makes permanent a story that might otherwise be lost and unrecorded.