First Filipino Settler in Canada #shorts #news #canadanews

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Shared May 30, 2025

Benjamin “Benson” Flores: The First Recorded Filipino Settler in Canada Benjamin “Benson” Flores, born around 1846 in the Philippines, was a fisherman, trapper, and beachcomber who became the first recorded Filipino to settle in Canada. Flores arrived in 1861 at Bowen Island, British Columbia. Census records show that he built his homestead near Trout Lake, now known as Grafton Lake. On April 7, 1892, Flores and fellow Filipino settler William Matilda claimed over 60 acres of land south of Mount Gardner. Documents describe Flores as a fisherman and trapper—a common and efficient method for catching wild fish at the time. According to the Bowen Island Historians group, he also operated the first boat rental business in Snug Cove, Bowen Island. In 1909, Flores became a naturalized Canadian citizen. He suffered from bladder and kidney diseases and passed away on April 11, 1929, at Vancouver General Hospital. He was buried in a cemetery in Vancouver, several miles from Bowen Island where he had lived for many years. On April 13, 2024, the Filipino community honored Flores by placing a gravestone memorial at his burial site. A fishing hook was added to the grave to commemorate his legacy as Canada’s first Filipino fisherman.