“There are ample examples of discrimination”

Ron Nicholson, long-time member including serving on the Board of the BC Black History Awareness Society, in interview format.

Location: Ron is seated on a park Bench at Irving Park.  Mifflin Gibbs owned property and his home was at this location. The plaque commissioned by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board honoring Gibbs is also situated in this park.

On-screen text:   “There are ample examples of discrimination” Ron Nicholson

Ron: The history of the Black Pioneers of BC is very significant and important and their story needs to be told as part of BC Black history and part of Canadian history.

They played a very significant role in settling the area when Douglas was looking for someone to settle and stay here out of his concerns for annexation by the Americans that were coming here and going to the interior for the gold rush. The settlers that came really filled that need for Douglas and it was a win-win situation for them because of the persecution and discrimination they had experienced in California.

Douglas had guaranteed them the right to become citizens here in BC after a period of time which included the right to vote which they had been denied in California and many other reasons of discrimination.
However it was not perfect for them here. There was significant discrimination and incidents that come to mind.

A lot of the early pioneers wanted to participate in the fire brigade. They were denied because of race. They then formed their own militia which was approved by Douglas. They were called the Pioneer rifles. They were not fully supported fund wise and although they did receive small funding from the province or the government of the day, they had to even request uniforms from the British.

There were other incidents such as they weren’t allowed in restaurants or bars or theatres. One incident in particular involving Mifflin Gibbs and his partner Peter Lester. They attended a function at the main theatre in Victoria, someone dumped flour over the balcony onto them and it turned into a kind of melee. None of the whites were charged or punished in any way.

There was ample examples of discrimination.