Three Indigenous raven sculptures perched atop new Point Grey rental tower | Daily Hive

Three Indigenous raven sculptures installed atop new West Point Grey rental housing tower

Ravens sculptures atop Westbank's new Raven rental housing tower at 3709 West Broadway, Vancouver, as seen on April 21, 2025. (Kenneth Chan)

Three giant raven sculptures have been installed atop a new rental housing tower in Vancouver’s West Point Grey neighbourhood, symbolizing cultural significance for the area and marking a prominent addition to the city’s public art landscape.

Impossible to miss, the trio of larger-than-life birds are perched high above on the upper rooflines and rooftop of local developer Westbank’s new 14-storey Raven tower — a new 100% secured purpose-built rental building now approaching full completion, prominently located at the northwest corner of the intersection of West Broadway and Alma Street.

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The Indigenous-inspired public art installation is titled “Ravens,” also echoing the name of the building itself, which is aptly called “Raven.”

The sculptures, designed by Coast Salish artist Thomas Cannell, are said to serve as the “three guardians of the building, there to teach and protect everyone who might be in need.”

westbank raven rentals ravens alma broadway thomas cannell vancouver

Ravens sculptures atop Westbank’s new Raven rental housing tower at 3709 West Broadway, Vancouver, as seen on April 21, 2025. (Kenneth Chan)

“The Raven has always been my favourite,” said Cannell. “The Raven is a misfit, never satisfied, always look-ing for ways to amuse itself, searching for something interesting, something better. Like every person sees the world in a different way than another, so does the Raven. In many of our stories the Raven teaches us about life and right from wrong. This bird symbolizes change in life, creativity and humour.”

The sculptures were installed on the building earlier this month. The building itself is expected to reach completion and occupancy later in 2025.

Ravens sculptures atop Westbank’s new Raven rental housing tower at 3709 West Broadway, Vancouver, as seen on April 21, 2025. (Kenneth Chan)

When open, Raven will provide 164 secured purpose-built rental homes, with 20 per cent of the residential floor area designated for moderate-income households and the remainder offered at market rents. The mix includes over 100 studio and one-bedroom units, which may be particularly suitable for University of British Columbia (UBC) students seeking housing near campus. The building is also conveniently located adjacent to major bus stops served by the 99 B-Line and other frequent bus routes.

In addition to the infusion of rental housing, the ground level features roughly 10,000 sq. ft. of retail/restaurant uses, activating the building’s edges with West Broadway and Alma Street.

The building’s 123,000 sq. ft. of rental housing and commercial uses is also supported by about 50 vehicle parking stalls and approximately 300 bike parking spaces within two underground levels.

The building itself was designed by Leckie Studio Architecture & Design. Westbank received rezoning approval for the project at 3709 West Broadway in a public hearing in October 2020, which included a commitment of a public art contribution of $213,000 — now achieved as the on-site installation of Ravens.

Ravens sculptures atop Westbank’s new Raven rental housing tower at 3709 West Broadway, Vancouver, as seen on April 21, 2025. (Kenneth Chan)

Albeit located on the easternmost border of West Point Grey, Raven is technically the most significant new residential building to be achieved within the neighbourhood’s borders in decades.

That will change over the coming years from the redevelopments of the Safeway site on West 10th Avenue at West Point Grey Village into a high-density, mixed-use rental housing complex, and the immense Jericho Lands project just to the west.

As well, as a part of the future extension of SkyTrain’s Millennium Line from Arbutus to UBC, the intersection of Alma and West Broadway is expected to be served by a station.

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