People can learn more about the man appointed by the Crown to be in charge of a the new colony of British Columbia back in the mid-1800s during a special event this weekend.
As a mixed-race person, James Douglas, who was married to an Indigenous woman, faced adversity as the first governor of the Crown colony, after having been the head of the Hudson's Bay Co. in the area.
The Fort Langley National Historic Site and the Guyanese Canadian Cultural Association are hosting James Douglas: A Multicultural Legacy on Saturday, Sept. 21, to share stories about his unique life.
Douglas was sworn in as B.C.’s first governor at Fort Langley during the reading of the proclamation on Nov. 19, 1858. He came from a multicultural background: he was born in Guyana to a Creole mother and a Scottish father, and as an adult, he married a Metis woman, Amelia Connolly.
The event will be a blend of flavours and sounds of Black, Scottish, Metis, and First Nations art, food, music, and dance at Fort Langley National Historic Site in partnership with the Guyanese Canadian Cultural Association of BC. There will be guest speakers, Caribbean-Indigenous fusion food for sale, cultural performances, and more.
This event will take place on Sept. 21, instead of Nov. 19 as in the past.
Admission to Fort Langley National Historic Site is $9 for adults, and $7.50 for seniors. Admission is free for youth 17 and under and for annual pass holders.