Inukshuk, Stone sculpture in English Bay, Canada

The Inukshuk is a stone sculpture standing beside English Bay in Vancouver, made of stacked granite blocks arranged in a human-like form. Its towering shape rises noticeably above the surrounding landscape and is visible from the waterfront.

Alvin Kanak of Rankin Inlet carved the inuksuk from grey granite for the Northwest Territories pavilion at Expo 86. After the fair it was given to the City of Vancouver, and in 1987 it was moved to English Bay, sponsored by Coast Hotels & Resorts through the Vancouver Legacies program.

The plaque at the base calls the inuksuk an ancient Inuit symbol used as a landmark and navigational aid, standing for northern hospitality and friendship. The same welcoming meaning was claimed for the inunnguaq logo of the 2010 Winter Olympics, designed by Vancouver artist Elena Rivera MacGregor, a use that drew criticism from Inuit and British Columbia First Nations.

The sculpture sits directly beside a popular beach and is easy to reach on foot from nearby streets. It occupies a public space that is freely accessible at any time and offers a good spot to stop and look around.

The inuksuk is an inunnguaq, a figure with a head and shoulders rather than the plain cairn form. An inunnguaq of this kind was the basis of the 2010 Winter Olympics logo drawn by Vancouver artist Elena Rivera MacGregor, a use that drew criticism from Inuit and First Nations people in British Columbia. Many nonetheless read the emblem as a tribute to Kanak's 1986 work.