A Vancouver icon has passed away.
Laura-Kay Prophet, the Vancouver Duck Lady who was regularly spotted strolling the city's streets with a white feathered friend, has died. Over the years she became a recognizable and beloved individual in the city.
She believed the ducks possessed unique “supernatural abilities" and regularly told the fortunes of people she encountered on the street.
Prophet had a blog describing "incredible ducks" she owned dating back to 1980.
The blog begins with Harvey the Duck, who Prophet says she had from 1980 to 1986. After that, she had two ducks called Webster and Holly. The next duck, Bobbie, was purportedly the "fortune-telling duck" or "soup duck."
The following duck was known as Bobbie II and was also considered the "reincarnation" of the first bird.
Locals react to the passing of the Vancouver Duck Lady
Dick King-Smith shared a video of Prophet on X, formerly Twitter, in 2019, noting that the local woman went around the city with her snowy white duck handing out sandwiches to homeless people.
"As it’s winter now, her duck is wearing shoes," he quipped.
Local illustrator John Nez commented that Prophet "made an entire freelance career out of giving and sharing" through her newsletters, lotteries, and friendships.
Dave Kim wrote in a post on X that they had just seen her last week at Cambie and Broadway.
Vancouverite Josh said he was "genuinely saddened" by the news, describing Prophet as a "Vancouver staple for everyone!"
Similarly, Jeffery Sengara wrote, "This has broken my heart. She was a beautiful beautiful soul. She told us our future when we were just kids. We will miss you and your magical little mates."
David Cee described her as a "a West End legend and wonderful person."
Vancouverite Stanley Q Woodvine shared two images from 2022 of Prophet with her duck Bobbie VI near West Broadway and Spruce Street.
He remarked, "Oh. This is sad! She was a sweet, magically eccentric character who travelled all over Vancouver spreading delight!"
Another local shared an image of a family interacting with one of Prophet's ducks on a sidewalk.
Other locals have shared photos of Prophet over the years.
