“I’m a direct descendant of Charles and Nancy Alexander”

Karen Hoshal is a long-term member including serving on the Board for the BC Black History Awareness Society, in interview format.

Location: Karen is seated on a piano bench in the Central Saanich United Church. The church is in natural light, with daylight coming through the window behind her left shoulder. The wainscoting is dark mahogany, walls are mustardy wood laths. On Karen’s right side is a mannequin with a long black colonial dress, with white buttons on the front of the bodice. There is a white underblouse. The white lace cuffs and large lace bow at the neck of the dress are visible.

On-screen text: “I’m a direct descendant of Charles and Nancy Alexander” Karen Hoshal

Karen: My name is Karen Alexander Hoshal and I am a direct descendant of one of the pioneering families that arrived here in 1858.
They arrived aboard a steamship Oregon and they came at the request of Governor James Douglas who needed more settlers in this area so that this area would not be annexed to the United States when the 49th parallel went through.

They actually had a very good life. They were invited here so people were quite welcoming.

Charles was a carpenter but he also had a farm. They farmed here for about thirty years before they moved into town and moved into closer quarters. Charles and Nancy produced a total of twelve children so there wasn’t too much out of the farm mode because they had to look after the farm and the children and Charles was doing carpentry work. They were quite busy.

Their involvement with the Church was that Charles and Nancy built this church. Nancy did most of the feeding of the crew that was helping to work on it; but Charles actually designed and built the church that we are in right now.  This church was originally called South Saanich it was then changed to Shady Creek United Church and has recently been changed to Central Saanich United Church because that’s the community that it’s in.

I think my family’s story is important because number one they are black people and I am a descendant of them. But it’s also important that people know that you can get along with all different races.
It was very important that they came and settled here because they were invited and their family legacy goes on and on through the next generations.

[Karen turns to face the dress]

Karen: This dress that you’re looking at now was Nancy Alexander’s wedding anniversary dress from 1909 for her 60th wedding anniversary. One question I asked when I saw the dress was “Why is it black if it’s for an anniversary?” I was told that most ladies only wore black and they accessorized it with a different color under-blouse for different occasions. If it was a wedding the under-blouse would be white, if it was a funeral it would be a black blouse. If it was a festive occasion the under-blouse might be red or blue or green.