The Furry Creek sign on Highway 99 is inspiring a photo hotspot for a community in which members say, you can feel safe ‘for being maybe a little weirder.’
We’re talking all things furry—not the prospector who discovered copper in the namesake creek—but more in the literal sense.
Furry Creek has piqued the interest of the niche but diverse community of (almost) the same name; Furries or the Furry Fandom, who are artists and role players, or anyone inspired by anthropomorphized animals.
Furries often dress up in character, coming together as their “fursonas,” or avatars of their extended personalities. This often involves a costume (“fursuit”), be that a full head mask or a set of ears and a tail.
Posted on April 25, a Tik Tok of four Furries standing by the Furry Creek sign on Highway 99 as a “rite of passage” has garnered over 36,000 views to date. The same video has also been posted on Instagram with almost 9,000 shares. Commenters expressed joy at seeing other local Furries come together and the coincidence of the place name.
The Squamish Chief spoke with the poster of the video and Furry community member, 22-year-old Vancouver-based “Oak the Yeen” (real name Sydney Calpas), about their experience as a Furry, misconceptions those outside the community might have, and how the community can offer a safe space regarding identity.
“Yeen,” according to Oak and The Furry Dictionary, is an abbreviation of hyena.
What follows is a version of that conversation edited for length and clarity.
Oak: I kind of randomly heard about Furry Creek. One of my friends was like, ‘Oh, there's this sign, we have to check it out, because it's a funny thing.’
When I posted that video, I had a lot of people saying, ‘Oh, my profile picture’s from there,’ so it's kind of a cute thing we do, like, a popular thing in the fandom.
A: I joined the community only a year and a half ago. There was a buildup; I was always fascinated by what I saw online. I ended up meeting a Furry and going to a convention.
It’s weird to explain why I chose a hyena, but I've always liked that animal personality, just even the way they look. Sometimes it's that simple. This character is expressing my love for the outdoors. It's like when you're a kid, role play is a big fun thing, and I think a big thing in the community is connecting with your inner child. It really depends on the person. The costume is like an extension or alternate version of yourself, and a way to perform, or to have a character or multiple characters. It's an awesome way to feel safe.
A: The most common way to make a mask is from foam. For me, I do 3D printing in plastic as a base. The fur itself you order online for specific colours, like at Howl Fabric. You need 3D printing, you need the fur, and you need to know how to sew.
A: [People think that] we think we’re animals. There's a big differentiation, but there is also a huge overlap [with therianthropy], like I've definitely met those people in the community. But for me, it's definitely just a character.
People think the community is mostly teens and people in their 20s, as it always seems that way on social media. The community is actually quite varied in age, most people are in their 20s to 30s. When you go to a convention, like [the annual] Vancoufur—there's only really Vancouver [in B.C.]—you notice the crowd is mostly adults.
A: At the conventions, there's a huge variety, like a marketplace with art and clothing. There’s also a ton of panels on anthropomorphic cartoons. There can be a parade of all the people wearing costumes with people watching, cheering, and taking photos, and then at the end there's a huge photo of everyone in costume. It's a big thing to just get together and have a big group photo.
Another big thing at conventions is there's always a dance competition, which I don't feel a lot of people outside of the community would know. It's a very artistic community.
At meet-ups, we're not wearing the costume the whole time, because that would be a lot, we just have fun together.
A lot of people do want to stay anonymous in general spaces, however. At every convention, there’s a lounge with no photos, and when it comes to my Instagram, I don't want to necessarily have my face out there.
A: For me, it's a very accepting community, for anyone who's ever felt different. The community started with a lot of queer people, gay men specifically, so it's built off a safe space for these people. You'll feel safe for being maybe a little ‘weirder.’ At the end of day, it's definitely a weird hobby, but there's nothing wrong with being different.
A: I saw a B.C. Furry trying to plan a Furry Creek camping trip. So it is a well-known spot in the community. I would love to see a convention in Squamish or Whistler.
It's common to have a public suiting, where we wear the costumes and go out. Most people are in the Greater Vancouver area, so it would be fun to go around Whistler Village or something.
The next Vancoufur convention—Vancoufur Nightfall— will take place March 4 - 7th, 2027 at Richmond Conference Centre.
Folks can register online for $80.
Ina Pace is The Squamish Chief's Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) reporter.
This reporting was produced through the LJI, which supports original civic journalism across Canada.
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