Deighton (November 1830 – May 23, 1875) was a Canadian bar owner who was born in
Hull, England. He travelled to
California and then
New Caledonia (now
British Columbia, Canada) as a gold prospector, before operating bars in
New Westminster and later on the south side of
Burrard Inlet. The area later became known as Gastown, from Deighton's nickname "Gassy Jack". The statue was sculpted by Vern Simpson, after being commissioned in 1970 by a group of Gastown developers, eventually reaching over 23,000 signatures. It was toppled on February 14, 2022, by protesters during the 31st annual
Women's Memorial March for
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. ==See also==