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This online guide helps you find the Legends of Vancouver

In print for over a century, the book Legends of Vancouver tells the stories of the people and the land as told to writer Pauline Johnson by Squamish Chief Joe Capilano and other indigenous locals.

In print for over a century, the book Legends of Vancouver tells the stories of the people and the land as told to writer Pauline Johnson by Squamish Chief Joe Capilano and other indigenous locals.

 Siwash Rock circa 1905 (Photo via Vancouver Archives)Siwash Rock circa 1905 (Photo via Vancouver Archives)

Johnson, who was also known as Takehionwake, was a Mohawk-English-Canadian poet and author who came west from Ontario to Vancouver at the end of the 19th century.

Capilano became a good friend, and guided Johnson through the rich history of Vancouver and its native population.

 Screenshot/Legends of VancouverScreenshot/Legends of Vancouver

Johnson died in 1913--she is the only person to have been buried in Stanley Park since 1886--but her stories and legacy live on.

Now a new Vancouver "explorer" of this century has turned Johnson's "Legends" into a way to discover the city. She has created an online guided walking tour of local indigenous legends in and around Vancouver based on Johnson's writings, complete with an interactive map, and the bonus of archival images of Vancouver then and now.

 Capilano Suspension Bridge circa 1917 (Photo via Vancouver Archives)Capilano Suspension Bridge circa 1917 (Photo via Vancouver Archives)

Starting with Johnson's Stanley Park memorial, get to know the city through its rooted indigenous past and Johnson's writing. See her beloved Siwash Rock, and head north to the park and famous bridge named for her friend Capilano (and learn about "The Recluse" who is said to haunt the area).

Happy adventuring!