When Forest Pass, Library and Archives curator for Canada (LAC) were first dug in the history of Filipino in Canada, he was only hoping to find some isolated or unusual cases of individuals migrating from the Philippines.
But listed among the 20th century’s early log records, which were with the Canadian Pacific Steemship services between Victoria, BC, and Manila, the Philippines, say, there were glimpses of the people living at that time, including Philipinos recorded before the first dozen in Canada.
“Certainly, we know about the migration starting in the 1960s and the lively community present today,” he says. “But to search for some early Philippinas settled in Canada, to search for some antenacles. I was not expecting to find as much as I did.”
How the project started
Wearing blue gloves, passing the old ship carefully with both hands from your box and placed on the table. Its corners are dark, wrinkled, and the page looks like a pink ribbon on the left, stamped with a striking, sticking red seal.
“This seal here is Hong Kong’s port service that shows that the log was sealed there for inspection,” they say, pointing to the red seal, adding these logs, adding these logs, kept by the Captain or Authorities of the Canadian Pacific Steamships of Russia, who are among the Queen and Queen of Asia, which are two of the transpecular passenger ships.
Flipping through the papers, stopped on the page with various purple, green and red tickets, pointing to the stamp at the bottom-left corner. “Here you see the British Consulate in Manila, The Date of Arrival, 1931.”
For many people, it can be the old log record; But for the pass, it offers a glimpse in the lives of Canadian people in the early 20th century and the low-composed history of the Filipino in Canada.
In 1931, a man born in Manila rode these ships to visit his father’s cousin in Toronto.
In 1933, a Filipino lawyer visited Banf on leave.
In 1929, a Pentecostal Missionary returned to London, Onts. from Philippines.
“It was a big adventure of today to come to Canada for Canadian tourists to come to Canada,” they say.
Surrounded by signals, dug through the archives and the sensoring available in early 1901.
First Filipino on record
According to Library and Archives Canada, twelve people of the Filipino dynasty were recorded in the 1901 census data.
An iron molder named Mariano Gomez was recorded in Mericville, Onts. He was the only Filipino in the province at that time, according to the agency.
There were eleven BC: Four people in Vancouver, and seven fishermen were on Bowen Island, including Fernando and Mary Torenya, who came to Canada in 1881.
“There were many Filipino laborers who met me in Vancouver, and it is expected. It was a major Pacific port,” says. “What I was not expecting was a small community in Bowen Island, slightly away from Vancouver, it is still slightly out of the city today.”
“We are not necessarily not thinking about immigration in small town Canada in the early 20th century, and yet here we find a very, very remote part of the BC to find a Filipino community … a wonder how they ended, how the first settlers have reached the Bowen Island, and what is assured to encourage others.”
In 2024, the city of Vancouver declared April 11 as Benson Floors Day, reminiscent of the person who is believed to be the first known Filipino Setler 95 years after his passing.
The Benson Flores was the owner of a fisherman, a beach, and a boat rented business on the island. He came to British Columbia in 1861, became a part of Canada 10 years ago in the province.
United Filipino Canadian associations at BC (UFCABC) say that these conclusions bring pride for the Canada’s Filipino community.
Clifford Belgika, director of the UFCABC program, says, “This is the first time we have seen Filipino on record.” “Before this information came out, we were told that there was the first wave of Filipino in the 1930s, you know, tanary workers, and then the 50s, nurses and so on. But now we are moving forward.”
Transcription errors, language barriers affect accuracy
According to Statistics Canada, the censor began asking for a person’s birthplace, citizenship and period of immigration by 1901.
“Historical census data was always a challenge because the quality of the record is only as good as the enumerators that fill the forms,” say, pointing to the fact that the enumerators usually speak only English and French. “They were not familiar with Tagalog spelling or names, so we get names that are transferred in unusual ways.”
Other challenges have digitized census records and how individuals were identified.
“Optical character recognition system is used to move these records, not correct,” says. “A family in Cubek City was identified from the Philippines in the index, but in the original records, they are actually from Philadelphia.”
“It was only a transcription error in the part of the human or software system.”
According to the historian, another challenge is how individuals were identified.
“A Philippino settlement that I have found in Mericville (Onts), are identified in the Philippines and being ethnicly being Filipino. In another census, it is identified from Brazil,” it is said.
“I wonder if it is a question of a language barrier or the slope of the enumerator, then it is not taking time to determine where this person is from.”
20th century tourism and initial Filipino-American experience in Canada
The 1934 tourist brochure marketing for Canadian tourists was advertised as “Orient’s Pearl”, with its final stages in the Philippines, to promote Canadian Pacific Steamship for Asia, to promote Canadian Pacific Steamship.
But in Asia, people aboard these steamships are Philipino migrants traveling to America through Canada.
“His first experience in North America must have landed in Victoria,” says nearby. “His first vision of North America was Vancouver Island or Victoria.”
Canada-Filiped Relations Highlight
In a statement by Omni News, the Philippine Embassy in Canada appreciated LAC to highlight the historical records, saying, “These conclusions enrich our understanding of deep roots and the Filipino diaspora’s Canadian contribution to the canadian society for a long time, and acts as a reminder that the Philippinoism begins.”
Embassy says, “We continue to invite institutions such as Statistics Canada and other educational researchers to construct Laps work and to detect Migration history of Filipino in Canada.”
“This is expected to strengthen the bonds between the Philippines and Canada and motivate the next generation Filipino-Canadian people to be proud of their legacy.”
Visualize and accessible
For those wishing to find their family history, Canada’s census returns have been digitized and from 1825 to 1931, as well as immigration records, including passenger lists, have been discovered through the library. Archives Canada’s lineage and family history Web page,
“When people think about the collection of LAC, the things that can come to mind are declared a constitution,” says nearby. “But there are also stories of communities that can be teased by small mention in census records, passenger records, government correspondence that may otherwise be lost.”
It is important to remember through the pass record, it is important to remember that Canada has always been a multicultural country and that there are marks of vibrant communities from different parts of the world that are busy at the early date.