Poles are made from red cedar and have varying signs of wear
Jason Henry Hunt is continuing a family legacy by restoring four totems in downtown Victoria carved in the 1960s and 1970s by his uncle, Tony Hunt Sr.
The totems have been at Nootka Court since the early 1970s, when the development opened.
Nootka Court was created by Hans Hartwig, and runs between Humboldt and Courtney streets.
Jason Henry Hunt, a 51-year-old Port Hardy resident and member of the Kwagiulth Nation, said he’s done a lot of restoration work over the years, including working on pieces by his grandfather, Henry Hunt, and great-grandfather, the renowned Mungo Martin.
“I always say that to me, it’s like these guys, even though they’re gone, are still able to teach me and I’m still able to learn from them.”
Jason, who has been making a living as a carver for more than 30 years, said restoring totem poles has to be approached “with a great deal of respect.”
“It’s an interesting thing to work on somebody else’s pieces and try to recreate what they had originally carved.”
Another uncle, Richard Hunt, will be helping with the work and providing advice along the way. He’ll be concentrating on the lower part of the poles, while Jason will do the work requiring scaffolding or lifts.
The poles are all made from red cedar and range in height from about six metres to about 12 metres, with varying signs of wear, Jason said.
While the interior pole in the courtyard is in “pretty decent shape,” the two on the outer boulevards have suffered more damage from rain and sun, he said.
Jason started Monday and expects to be on the job daily through July and maybe the first part of August.
“Because it’s summertime, it’s light out until 9 or 10, so I’ll be working after dinner, too.”
The first steps are washing the poles and cleaning off growth such as lichen or moss, before making any repairs and painting them, Jason said.
“If there’s a little section that is rotted, you might take it out and re-carve that part,” he said, adding he’s looking forward to the public watching the work and asking questions. “I really enjoy that kind of thing.”
He said he got used to having spectators when he was working at Thunderbird Park, next to the Royal B.C. Museum. “People are curious, they see things happening and they want to know what’s going on.”
Nootka Court owner Wottrich Holdings is funding the restoration project.
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