The No. 2 Construction Battalion, the first and only Black battalion in Canadian military history was authorized on July 5, 1916, with headquarters initially at Pictou, Nova Scotia; in September their headquarters was relocated to Truro. The battalion, with nineteen officers and 605 men of other ranks, embarked from Pier…
Category: Timeline Stories
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Nelson Mandela (1918–2013) was a South African black nationalist who spent 27 years in prison for fighting against the country’s discriminatory apartheid system of racial segregation. From 1964 to February 11, 1990 Nelson Mandela was incarcerated. After his release, Mandela was chosen deputy president of the African National Congress (ANC);…
1960: Canadian Bill of Rights is enacted. 1982: Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms came into force on April 17, 1982. 1985: Equality Rights (section 15 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms) It took another three years for this section to come into effect, April 17, 1985. The delay…
John Braithwaite was first elected to North Vancouver City Council in 1972. He served on council until 1976, then took a brief break; he was re-elected in 1983 and was then re-elected consecutively until his retirement in 2002. Altogether, John Braithwaite spent 23 years in elected office; he also has…
Awards and recognition: 1972 – National Black Coalition Award 1973 – United Nations, Human Rights Fellowship 1989 – YWCA, Woman of Distinction Award 1991 – University of British Columbia Alma Mater Society, Great Trekker Award 1995 – Government of British Columbia, Order of British Columbia 1996 – Government of Canada,…
The Church was originally constructed east of the Old East Saanich Road, nearby Sandhill Creek. Charles Alexander initiated and assisted in the building of the original church and was one of its first lay preachers. This church stood for some 30 years; the congregation built a new building completed in…
John Freemont Smith was born in the Danish West Indies (now the Virgin Islands). He initially prospected in the Interior then spent some time in Victoria where he married and started a family. The family moved back to Kamloops; John owned and operated a retail business. In 1902 he became…
“Leonard Lane fought a long and passionate fight against racial discrimination in our province. Housing in Vancouver was, and is, extremely difficult for Black tenants and aspiring homeowners. Leonard recognized this and opened the first Black credit union in BC, a branch of the BC Unity Credit Union, in 1959.…
Charles and Nancy were married in Springfield Illinois, on December 25,1849. In 1899 they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with many friends and well-wishers at their home in Lake Hill (a subdivision in Saanich, BC). *The studio portrait is 10 years later. The dress was made for their 60th wedding…
Marie Stark Wallace (August 15,1867 – June 15,1966) is the third of four daughters of Silvia and Louis Stark. When Marie was in her nineties, she wrote the history of her family. After her death, her manuscript was published in The Gulf Islands Driftwood newspaper as an 11-part series. “From…
The Society formed sometime in 1975. They focused on providing cultural and social activities and encouraging their children to learn about their history. They had an estimated 90 households as members. One major achievement was the production of “A Catalogue of Information and Sources of Information Pertaining to Blacks in…
BC Black History Awareness Society in partnership with the Royal BC Museum opened this exhibition on August 14, 2021. Hope Meets Action: Echoes Through the Black Continuum, the story of Afro-diasporic ‘British Columbia’ history, past, present and future. Written, told and designed by Black voices, this exhibition reclaims and retells…
On May 14, 2021 retired Judge Selwyn Romilly was stopped and handcuffed by Vancouver Police while out for a morning walk along Vancouver’s seawall. The officers told Judge Romilly he matched the description of “the suspect” … the suspect was described as a 40-50-year-old dark-skinned man; Judge Romilly is in…
Almost a year later, on April 20, 2021 Derek Chauvin is found guilty on all three charges: second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter; and sentenced to 22.5 years.
Using the 2016 census, Statistics Canada released the report “Diversity of the Black population in Canada: An Overview”. Some findings: • In 2016 close to 1.2 million people in Canada self-identified as Black. • The Black population was younger than the total population in Canada. The median age for the…
Sharmarke Dubow is a Somali Canadian politician and human rights advocate. He cast his first vote ever in an election in Canada on October 20, 2018 AND in that same municipal election, he was elected a City Councillor in Victoria, BC. Meet Sharmarke
Known as the “Gentleman Umpire”, Doug was inducted into the Victoria Sports Hall of Fame in 1998, Umpires Association Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Canadian Baseball Sports Hall of Fame in 2017; and he is a founding member of BC Black History Awareness Society. Read more about Doug…
The themes are Recognition, Justice, and Development with the overall goal to promote and protect human rights. A UN Working Group at the invitation of the Canadian gov’t, visited Canada in 2016. They met with federal and provincial government agencies including Global Affairs, Statistics Canada, Immigration, Public Safety, RCMP, National…
The official citation reads: “Eleanor Collins, C.M. is a supremely talented vocalist who changed the face of race relations in mid-20th Century Vancouver. In 1948 she was ostracized upon moving into one of the city’s predominantly white neighbourhoods. She responded by fostering the values of equality and acceptance within her…
February 7, 2014: BC Black History Awareness Society organized a Leon Bibb Concert at Government House, hosted by the Honourable Judith Guichon, OBC Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. Leon was accompanied by his friend and pianist of 30 years, Bill Sample. The event was also a celebration of Leon’s 92nd…
1926: The precursor to Black History Month was created in 1926 in the United States, when historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History announced the second week of February to be “Negro History Week“. This week was chosen because it coincided with…
The #BlackLivesMatter started in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman for the shooting death of 17-year old, unarmed Trayvon Martin. Martin was shot a year earlier on February 26, 2012. Three women Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi, started what has become a global organization. The organization’s mission…
Designation Date: April 20,2009 “Our government is proud to honor a man who worked tirelessly for the local Black Community as a politician, businessman, and defender of human rights”. On February 19, 2017, the plaque was presented to the BC Black History Awareness Society and the City of Victoria. On…
In 2004 the African Heritage Association of Vancouver Island (AHAVI) was formed as a non-profit organization to build a united and strong community by cooperatively organizing, and supporting events and activities to meet the needs of Africans, people of African descent, and friends of Africa on Vancouver Island.
“Visible Minority” refers to whether a person belongs to a visible minority group as defined by the Employment Equity Act and, if so, the visible minority group to which the person belongs. The Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as ‘persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race…
The preface: “This catalogue is the result of a summer project of the Victoria Black People’s Society. The aims of the project were to research existing information in public records pertaining to Blacks in British Columbia, catalogue this information, and publish it in a consolidated form. The researchers have been…
The Historic Sites and Monuments Board plaque (designation date: 1997-09-22) commemorating the arrival of the Black settlers in 1858 as “an event of national historic significance” is located at the Central Saanich United Church formerly The Shady Creek Church The plaque was unveiled on February 20, 2000. BLACK PIONEERS IN…
Career: 1966 Graduated Peter A. Allard School of Law, UBC 1974 Appointed to the provincial court of B.C. 1991 Voted by B.C. lawyers as one of the four best Provincial Court Judges in the province 1995: Appointed Supreme Court Justice 2008 Received a distinguished service award from the Black Law…
In 1993 a BC Black History Awareness committee was formed to address a request from the Royal BC Museum and Archives to the Black community in Victoria to stage a Black History Month event at the museum. The success of that event was the catalyst for community members to form…
Emery Barnes had been in politics since 1972. On August 30, 1972 he was elected as the first member in the double-member riding of Vancouver Centre, along with MLA Gary Lauk. He and Lauk were re-elected in 1975, 1979 and 1983. In 1986 Lauk retired, Emery was joined by Mike…
Joe arrived in Vancouver in circa 1885/1886; he was about 20 years old. He initially worked as a bartender but spent many hours at English Bay – taking it upon himself to be THE informal swimming teacher and lifeguard. In 1910 the City of Vancouver recognized Joe as an official…
Affectionately called “Vie’s” it was an iconic part of the black community in Hogan’s Alley, and THE favorite place to be served great food for many people working night shifts; as well as a meeting place for visiting entertainers and celebrities that included Louis Armstrong, Count Bassie, Cab Calloway, Sammy…
On October 12, 1974 Valmond Romilly, a Smithers lawyer was stopped on the street and then arrested by three Vancouver city policeman. The police claimed that Romilly was a suspect wanted for questioning. They based this claim on the fact that the suspect, like Romilly, was Black. Romilly was not…
On August 30th, 1972 Emery Barnes was elected as the first member in the double-member riding of Vancouver Centre, along with MLA Gary Lauk. He and Lauk were re-elected in 1975, 1979 and 1983. In 1986 Lauk retired, Emery was joined by Mike Harcourt. In 1991, Barnes was elected to…
The Harry Jerome International Track Classic is held annually in honour of Harry Jerome. His athletic excellence, talent and tenacity on and off the track inspired a generation of Canadians to “never give up” in their own endeavours. His legacy of athletic excellence and commitment to youth and sport remain…
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom: An estimated 250,000 people took part in…
At its height in the 1930s and 1940s, the Black population in the Strathcona neighbourhood of Vancouver numbered approximately 800. It was a mixed community of mainly Italian, Chinese and Blacks. In 1958 the Vancouver City Council approved a “redevelopment plan” that called for the demolition of nearly all of…
This is the first racially oriented, AND non-violence/activist organization in British Columbia. It provided a community voice and support for self-definition through census taking, supported/liaised with other Canadian and American organizations, endeavoured to influence the curriculum in B.C. schools, as well as providing support for individuals facing discrimination in areas…
The very first Eleanor show aired on June 12, 1955. Eleanor Collins has been the recipient of numerous awards for her contribution to arts and entertainment, including the 1986 Centennial Distinguished Pioneer Award and induction into the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame, Lifetime Achievement Awards from ACTRA’s Sam Payne Award,…
Dorothy Hewitt was of Jamaican ancestry, married to a white man who taught English at Shawnigan Lake Boys School, Vancouver Island. It is reported that about a week before classes Dorothy was told by Peter Kaye, the Headmaster to leave the school “before the boys come and see a coloured…
“I got my first job in Alberni from sending out resumes. It never occurred to me that people did not hire black teachers. About 10 years later, when I came back to Vancouver, I had no trouble getting work as a substitute teacher. So I waited every morning for that…
*This was the story in the Province newspaper on Page 1. *The couple, the Cromwell’s, had received a letter signed Mrs. J.J. Jones stating that they should move from their home in southeast Vancouver as they were not wanted in the neighborhood. *Ironically, the home owner was Mr. Dermont Cromwell,…
In April of 1941, Vancouver Newspapers began reporting on the “Crystal Pool Controversy”; where the Vancouver Parks Board imposed a colour ban limiting the use of the pool for Blacks and Chinese only on Tuesday mornings. While some Park Board members did protest, the “colour line” lasted for more than…
Many of the pioneers that migrated to the British Colonies beginning in 1858 were young men and women and young families. It was their grandchildren and great-grandchildren who enlisted to fight for Canada in World War I and World War II. Hiram Whims was born in Tennessee and immigrated to…
Barbara Howard, born and raised in Vancouver is the first black woman athlete to represent Canada in an International competition at the 1938 British Empire Games held in Sydney, Australia from February 5th to 12th.
*Constructed in 1904 at the corner of Jackson and Prior streets, it was originally a Lutheran Church. *The building was purchased in 1918, through the leadership of local resident Nora Hendrix and circa 1921 opened as The African Methodist Episcopal Fountain Chapel; becoming the spiritual and social heart of the…
Black settlement in Vancouver’s Hogan’s Alley, was largely due to the neighbourhood’s proximity to the Great Northern Railway station, where many of the men in the community worked as porters. A collective bargaining agreement was signed with the CPR in May 1945, but it had taken about 3 years to…
April 9, 1917 was the Battle of Vimy Ridge where Pte. Gilbert captured a German Officer who then gave Pte. R. Gilbert his own Iron Cross, because of the bravery and courage Gilbert had shown in capturing the officer and 24 of his men! Find out more
Many of the pioneers that migrated to the British Colonies beginning in 1858 were young men and women and young families. It was their grandchildren and great-grandchildren who enlisted to fight for Canada in World War I and World War II. Hiram Whims was born in Tennessee and immigrated to…