Top 10 Countries
of Origin for
immigrants 2001-2006
1. China 14%
2. India 11.6%
3. Philippines 7%
4. Pakistan 5.2%
5. USA 3.5%
6. South Korea 3.2%
7. Romania 2.5%
8. Iran 2.3%
9. England 2.3%
10. Columbia 1.9%
Source: Statistics Canada
British Columbia had
first Black Governor General as early as the year 1858
While everyone was cheering the USA for having Obama as its first black
president, BC can be proud of the fact that it has its first black
governor general as early as 1858. It was not commonly known that
Sir James Douglas, (August 15, 1803 – August 2, 1877) was an
illegitimate son of a Scottish sugar planter and a “free coloured
woman”, in British Guiana. His mother was probably a descendant of a
black, slave woman and a European man stationed in the West Indies.
James Douglas lived in the planter and slave society in British Guiana
until the age of nine. In 1812, his father sent him to Scotland to
attend school. There he met many of his father’s extended family,
members of the well-to-do planter and merchant class in Glasgow. But it
was the fur trade that attracted young James and so he headed for Canada
at age sixteen not to return to Scotland for 45 years.
After several years in the fur trade, Douglas was posted to Fort St
James, B.C. This northern outpost became his centre of activities during
his first years in British Columbia. At Fort St. James, he met
Amelia, who became his wife.
Lady
Amelia Douglas, of First Nations Ancestry
Lady Amelia Douglas (photo on left), , formerly Amelia Connolly, was the
daughter of Irish-born Chief Factor William Connolly and Suzanne, a Cree
woman of the Fort Churchill area of Hudson Bay. In the absence of
clergy, Lady Amelia and Sir James Douglas were married “in the custom of
the country” and together had 13 children, of whom only 6 lived to
adulthood.
Sir James Douglas,
earned his living as a company fur-trader and later became a British
colonial governor in northwestern North America, particularly in what is
now British Columbia. Douglas worked for the North West Company, and
later for the Hudson's Bay Company becoming a high-ranking company
officer. From 1851 to 1864, he was Governor of the Colony of Vancouver
Island. In 1858 he became, also, the first Governor of the Colony of
British Columbia, in order to assert British authority during the Fraser
Canyon Gold Rush, which had the potential to turn the Mainland into an
American state. He remained governor of both Vancouver Island and
British Columbia until his retirement in 1864. He is often credited as
"The Father of British Columbia".
Sir James Douglas,
well loved by British Columbians
When his service to the
Empire ended, Queen Victoria increased his position in the Order of the
Bath to Knight Commander. Upon his retirement Douglas was honoured with
banquets both in Victoria and New Westminster, the capital of the
mainland. He also received a thank you on paper signed by 900 people. In
1864 and '65 Douglas toured Europe. He visited relatives in Scotland and
a half-sister in Paris. However, he had to come home after his daughter,
Cecilia, died.
Douglas kept an active lifestyle but stayed out of politics in all
forms. He died in Victoria of a heart attack on August 2, 1877 at the
age of 73. His funeral procession was possibly the largest in the
history of B.C. and he was interred in the Ross Bay Cemetery.
(photo on left shows grave of Sir James Douglas at the Ross Bay Cemetery
in Victoria, BC)
Canada's First Black Governor General welcomes President Obama to
Canada.
February 19, 2009. It was
dramatic and exciting for many Canadians to witness the visit of US
President Obama. Michaelle Jean, Canada's First Black
Governor General leads the Canadian delegation in welcoming the
president.
The
Governor General is the Queen's
representative in Canada and
communicates directly with Queen
Elizabeth. Before the 1980s this
position was only filled by white
men but since then three of five
Governor Generals have been female.
The governor general is also the
Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian
Forces and, in that capacity, visits
military bases and Canadian
peacekeepers at home and abroad,
encouraging and honouring Canadian
military personnel. She signs
official documents and meets
regularly with the prime minister
and government officials. She has
the right to be consulted, to
encourage and to warn.
Governor General Michaëlle Jean
worked as a journalist and
television broadcaster in Quebec.
She immigrated from Haiti with her
family at an early age and is fluent
in five languages—French, English,
Italian, Spanish and Haitian Creole.
Here is a television clip of
President Obama's arrival. The video clip runs 9 minutes and is a
little long. It shows how Canadians eagerly anticipated the visit.
In the past, when Former President Bush visited Canada, he was greeted
with demonstrators, placards and rioting. In contrast, President
Obama enjoys a popularity rating of 80% amongst Canadians, and thousands
travelled to Ottawa just to get a glimpse of the US President.
President Obama made a side trip to the local market prior to flying
back home and purchased a keychain souvenir and toyglobe for his
daughters with CANADIAN DOLLARS. This man knows PR.
Your comments:
Hi:
I am glad to know that Canada can be as progressive as the USA in terms
of going forward with racial equality. Michaelle Jean is an
inspiration for all Canadians.
Lady
Amelia Douglas, of First Nations Ancestry
