Siwash Rock facts for kids
Siwash Rock, also called Skalsh or Slhx̱í7lsh by the Squamish people, is a well-known rock in Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This tall rock stands between 15 and 18 meters (about 50 to 60 feet) high. It is special because of the ancient legends told about it by the Indigenous Squamish people. Sailors used to call it Nine Pin Rock because it looked a bit like a bowling pin.
How Siwash Rock Was Formed
Siwash Rock is a unique natural feature. About 32 million years ago, hot, melted rock called magma pushed up from deep inside the Earth. It came through a crack in the ground, forming a hard rock structure called a dike. This dike was made of basalt, a very strong type of rock.
The land around it was made of softer sedimentary rock like sandstone. Over millions of years, wind and water slowly wore away the softer rock. But the tough basalt dike resisted this wearing down. This is how Siwash Rock became a tall, isolated pillar, standing proudly by the water. It is the only sea stack of its kind in the Vancouver area.
The Names of Siwash Rock
The Squamish name for the rock is Slhx̱í7lsh. This name comes from a story about a man who was transformed by a powerful spirit named X̱aays. According to Squamish elder Andrew Paull, the small hole in the rock was where this transformed man kept his fishing tools.
A famous poet named E. Pauline Johnson shared a Squamish legend about Siwash Rock. In her book Legends of Vancouver, she wrote that a man was turned into the rock. This happened to make him an "indestructible monument to Clean Fatherhood." A sign near the rock explains that it is "Skalsh the unselfish." It says he was transformed by "Q'uas the transformer" as a reward for being selfless.
The name "Siwash" has been a topic of discussion. It comes from a word in Chinook Jargon, which was a trade language. This word was used to refer to Indigenous people. It originally came from the French word "sauvage," meaning wild. While the word "siwash" was not always seen as negative, some people now consider it disrespectful. However, it is still used in some place names, like Siwash Rock, without a bad meaning.
In 2017, a Vancouver Park Board commissioner suggested changing the rock's official name to Slhx̱í7lsh. This was because the word "Siwash" has roots in a term that can be seen as offensive to Indigenous people.
History Around Siwash Rock
High up on the cliffs above Siwash Rock, there is a lookout point. This spot is part of the Siwash hiking trail. Today, it offers amazing views for park visitors. But in the past, it was known as "Fort Siwash" during wartime.
During the First World War, an artillery battery was placed there. In the Second World War, searchlights were set up. These were used to watch over the waters and protect the city.
An interesting story from the park is about a mountain goat. This goat lived freely in the area for almost a year in the mid-1960s. Sadly, it was hit by a car in another part of the park and died. Another story tells of a man who lived in a nearby cave for 17 years. His time there was only interrupted when he left to serve in the Second World War. He was arrested shortly after the war ended.
For many years, a small Douglas fir tree grew on top of Siwash Rock. This tree made the rock even more special and recognizable. However, the tree did not survive a very dry summer in 1965. Its passing was a big deal, and the Vancouver Sun newspaper even wrote about it. People were sad to see it go, as it was a beloved landmark.
Park workers thought it would be almost impossible to grow another fir tree on the rock. But they kept trying. Less than three years later, new young trees finally started to grow. This happened while park crews were still working to fix the damage from a big storm called Typhoon Freda in 1962.
