Vancouver, BC
By Charmaine Y. Rodriguez
An artist copy will also be found at the museum of Bowen Island, which Flores called home
After almost a century of a forgotten pioneer, the legacy of Benjamin ‘Benson’ Flores, the first Filipino to settle in Canada in 1861, will now be preserved for generations to come.
His portrait now has a permanent home at the Museum of Vancouver (MOV) where it will be kept for safekeeping and future exhibits, according to a press release from the Benson Flores Committee of the Pinoy Festival Alliance.
The 18×18 oil painting is the work of Calgary-based artist Reva Diana and it was formally accepted by the museum last April 10th at 2pm during a special program to mark this historic milestone for the Filipino community.
As part of the handover, the MOV’s CEO Ryan Hunt said, “Today’s donation will help to ensure that an important piece of Filipino heritage will be preserved and available to Vancouverites for decades, if not centuries, to come. Representation matters. And it is my sincere hope that this donation contributes to ensuring that Filipino stories are represented and celebrated within the Museum of Vancouver.”
Hunt attended the event together with Curator of Collections Wendy Nichols as well as Vancouver City councillor Rebecca Bligh and Philippine Deputy Consul General Paul Vincent Uy.
The ceremonies and program were coordinated by the Benson Flores Committee of the Pinoy Festival Alliance chaired by Anna Lu. Burnaby City councillor Maita Santiago was master of ceremonies.
An artist copy will also be donated to the Bowen Island Museum. Flores settled in Snug Cove, Bowen Island, B.C. in 1861 and lived there until his death in 1929.
Diana said “painting this portrait was more than just capturing his face – it was about honouring his journey, his resilience, and his place in history. Ben Flores may have been one man, but his story echoes through generations of Filipino immigrants who, like him, sought new beginnings in unfamiliar lands.”
The artist flew in to Vancouver to join in the formal donation ceremony. The donation was arranged by Philippine Canadian News Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Teodoro Alcuitas.
Philippine Canadian News publisher and editor-in-chief Teodoro “Ted” Alcuitas speaks during the ceremony. (photo from Facebook page)
Alcuitas, who originally conceived of memorializing Benson Flores in 2023 through a student competition grant from Simon Fraser University, also made it possible to erect a tombstone in the previously unmarked grave of Benson Flores at Vancouver’s Mountainview Cemetery last April 13, 2024.
More than 50 Filipino Canadians including public officials were on hand at the museum’s Joyce Walley Room for an afternoon of remembering and celebrating the life of Flores. The organizers also hoped to correct the conventional history that Filipinos arrived in Canada in the 1930s.
Squamish Nation Elder Wendy Charbonneau along with deacon Rennie Nahanee and his wife Emma, graced the occasion with a traditional Paddle Song and blessed the portrait with cedar boughs. Their presence bolstered the spirit of reconciliation and sharing that must have greeted ‘Old Ben’ when he first set foot on Bowen Island.
“This donation is part of our continuing effort to keep the legacy of Benson Flores alive because by doing so, we also celebrate the rich history of our Filipino community in Canada,” says Anna Lu, Chair of the Benson Flores Committee.
She adds there will also be a special exhibit about Benson Flores and the Filipino people’s migration to Canada at the upcoming 4th Annual Filipino Pinoy Festival this June 20 and 21 at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby.
The Pinoy Festival Alliance is a coalition of Filipino organizations that seeks to promote and showcase Filipino history and culture through various events and programs.
It was broadcast journalist Joseph Lopez, who in 2011, stumbled on a book on Bowen Island’s pioneers written by Irene Howard. The book contained a passage mentioning Benson Flores. This discovery led Lopez on a wild goose chase using his journalistic skills to investigate further Flores’ history spanning almost a decade. In September 2011, he decided to publish a four-part series of his investigation in the canadianfilipino.net online paper.