Vancouver statue to remain at corner of Esther & Sixth

Esther Short — Capt. George Vancouver has been all over the place. Back in the day, he traversed oceans and explored Australia, Hawaii and, of course, the Pacific Northwest. More recently, he was over at the former City Hall on West 13th Street and then at the Esther Short building at the corner of Sixth and Esther, where his 9-foot, 1,500-pound self, as sculpted in bronze by artist Jim Demetro, has become especially popular with weekend visitors to the Vancouver Farmers Market. Many of those visitors have wondered where George will be sent next, since the city has sold the Esther Short building and consolidated its offices across the street. Answer: “Captain George is staying put for now,” said Tim Haldeman, general services director for the city. That’s because the new owner of the Esther Short Building likes him too, Haldeman said, and knows the statue “has become an icon” in that location. So George is now sitting atop a free land easement and will stay where he is. Welcome home, George.