Saturday, Feb 8th 1:00 to 4:00 pm – Free!
at the Royal BC Museum Conference Hall
675 Belleville St., Victoria, BC V8W 9W2
Free!
Take this opportunity to meet and talk with direct descendants about their stories and family history and meet with local organizations that are dedicated to the preservation of historical records related to Black history in BC. The exhibits include images, artifacts, and archival documents. Meet with the exhibitors before and after the presentation.
Presentation 2:00 to 2:45pm with Ron Nicholson. The No. 2 Construction Battalion was the first and only Black Battalion in Canada (serving in WWI). Ron Nicholson will talk about his experiences as a member of the National Apology Advisory Committee (NAAC), the event that took place in Truro Nova Scotia, and the apology delivered by the Prime Minister.
EXHIBITS:
African Heritage Association of Vancouver Island (AHAVI) Building a united and strong community by co-operatively organizing and supporting events and activities to meet the needs of Africans, people of African descent, and friends of Africa on Vancouver Island. The objectives of AHAVI are to: foster a sense of community among Africans, people of African descent, and friends of Africa on Vancouver Island; promote the provision of the best possible services for all; promote the cultural development of its members; and to facilitate communication among its members and with members of other organizations and communities on Vancouver Island.
The Alexander Family and Saanich Pioneers Society with Karen Hoshal. Karen is a direct descendant of Charles and Nancy Alexander who were part of the 1858 migration of the Black Pioneers to B.C. from San Francisco. The Alexander’s settled in Saanich and were instrumental in building and establishing the Black Community, the Shady Creek Church and schools. The display includes photographs, archival materials, and the reproduction of the dress made for Nancy in 1909 for their 60th wedding anniversary.
Saanich Pioneers Society, with Susan Myerscroft. The Society operates the “Log Cabin Museum and Archives” in Saanichton, Vancouver Island’ “dedicated to the preservation of the historical records of the Saanich Peninsula” Several of the first Black settlers made their homes in this area. Their archives and museum house collections from the pioneer families, both textual and in artifact form.
Old Cemeteries Society of Victoria with Linda Richards OCS is dedicated to researching, preserving and encouraging the appreciation of Victoria’s heritage cemeteries. OCS members are involved in many volunteer activities, which include cataloging, cleaning and restoring monuments; computerizing burial records; combating vandalism; conducting historical research; and giving historical walking tours. For over 25 years, OCS has conducted a walking tour of Black pioneer grave sites at Ross Bay Cemetery. Their display at this Heritage Day event will highlight information about some of these pioneers. The annual Guided Tour at Ross Bay Cemetery will take place on Sunday, February 23, at 2 pm.
The No. 2 Construction Battalion CEF with Ron Nicholson, Door Gibson, and Shanice Wolters. The No.2 Construction Battalion was the first and only Black battalion in Canadian military history, authorized to fight in World War I on July 5, 1916, with headquarters at Pictou, Nova Scotia. Twelve men from BC enlisted in the Battalion.
On July 9, 2022, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered a National Apology to the Descendants and Families of the No. 2 Construction Battalion. The Apology took place in Truro Nova Scotia on the grounds where the Battalion trained. Ron was a member of the National Apology Advisory Committee (NAAC) and he attended the event in Nova Scotia.
In 2024 we began a project “No. 2 Construction Battalion’s Legacy in British Columbia and Beyond” The project lead, Door Gibson, Captain (Ret’d) D.L. Gibson, MMM, CD; one of our members and a member of the Last Post Fund and Shanice Wolters, Researcher for our project, will also speak about this project.
Underground Railroad with Ron Nicholson, a twenty-year member of the BC Black History Awareness Society and a fourth generation Canadian, whose great-grandfather was an actual traveler of the Underground Railroad. This display is a visual presentation featuring Harriet Tubman, a famous conductor of the UGRR, and other members of the Vigilance Committee who helped the fugitive slaves, along the many escape routes to freedom in the northern states and eventually into Upper Canada.
BC Black History – “The Pioneers” with Ron Nicholson. This exhibit gives a brief insight into the intrepid pioneers who arrived in 1858. They were free men and women seeking a place where they could raise their families, educate their children, practise their professions, vote, and, could live with equality under the law. Mifflin Gibbs, their defacto leader and 1st Black person to be elected and serve as a Victoria City councillor is featured in this exhibit.
