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<img src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-22/ben-flores.avif" loadinng="lazy" alt="Benjamin 'Benson' Flores" />
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(Ben Flores standing outside his house in Snug Cove, Bowen Island, British Columbia. Photo: Bowen Island Museum and Archives.)
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Early Life and Arrival in Canada
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Benson Flores was one of the first Filipino immigrants on record in British Columbia (BC). He was an early settler of Bowen Island, northwest of modern-day Vancouver. According to the census records, he immigrated in 1861, a decade before BC became part of Canada. However, he may or may not be the first Filipino to arrive in Canada. In the 18th century, there were unnamed seafarers from the Philippines among the diverse crews of European and American vessels trading in the Pacific Northwest.
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Life on Bowen Island
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Flores established his residence inland, near what is now known as Grafton Lake, previously Trout Lake. Historical documents indicate that on April 7, 1892, Flores, along with another Filipino, William Matilda, staked a claim to District Lot 1426 on Bowen Island. This lot, spanning over 60 acres, was a landlocked property situated to the south of Mount Gardner. The land that Flores claimed was in close proximity to the property owned by Joseph Mannion, a notable early settler of what is now Vancouver, formerly known as Granville.
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Benson Flores: The First Documented Filipino Immigrant to Canada