Mifflin Wistar Gibbs, Person of National Historic Significance

On August 4, 2009 the Government of Canada recognized Gibbs as “A Person of National Historic Significance” and commissioned the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada to design this plaque. On February 19, 2017, the plaque was presented to the B.C. Black History Awareness Society and the City of Victoria. On May 4, 2019 the plaque was unveiled at a ceremony at Irving Park, Victoria, B.C. followed by a reception at the sxʷeŋ’xʷəŋ taŋ’exw James Bay Library Branch. This library branch also houses the “Mifflin Wistar Gibbs Community Room” opened a year earlier in 2018.  Dr. Verna Gibbs, great-great grandniece of Gibbs attended the ceremonies dedicating the room and the unveiling of the plaque. The Plaque reads:

Mifflin Wistar Gibbs 1823-1915
After helping lead the exodus of 800 Black residents from San Francisco in 1858, Gibbs became the recognized leader of their community on Vancouver Island. He strove to make these newcomers a force in colonial politics and, as a member of Victoria City Council; he became the first Black person to hold elected office in British Columbia. This innovative entrepreneur, who invested in mining and trade, also encouraged the integration of Black settlers and advocated for their rights. Though he returned to the United States in 1870, Gibbs remains a revered historical figure in the province’s African-Canadian community.

This certificate lists the numerous and varied achievements of Gibbs throughout his life in the United States and Canada, and the recognition given him in British Columbia and in Canada.