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Fort Langley
Douglas Day had Caribbean flavour
A direct descendant of the first governor of British Columbia was on hand to help celebrate Douglas Day at the Fort Langley National Historic Site. by Troy Landreville
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Fort Langley National Historic Site interpreter Aman Johal, who played the part of James Douglas, the first governor of B.C., raised the Union Jack flag with assistance from FLNHS visitor services manager Mike Starr during Douglas Day celebrations on Saturday. Barbados.” She added, “For us as Caribbean people and not just from Barbados, it is important for us to recognize where we come from and where we’re going. I think we need to let all of British Columbia know that James Douglas one, was from the Caribbean and two, that his mother was from Barbados.” Bringing extra distinction to the day was the presence of Douglas’s great-great granddaughter Sarah Bowns, who travelled from the U.K. to witness the reenactment and take part in the festivities. “I just felt it would be interesting to look back into one’s
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Sarah Bowns (centre, beige jacket), the great-great granddaughter of the first governor of B.C., James Douglas, helped celebrate the reenactment of the proclamation that made this province a Crown colony. Troy Landreville/Langley Advance
roots,” Bowns said. “We’d heard ribly privileged to be here,” she of him [Douglas] obviously said. through Mum, but then when Bowns said people in Langley we heard they were celebrating and across the Lower Mainland Douglas Day I thought, ‘Oh! Let’s have been very gracious. go see what it is all about.’” “Virtually when I stepped off Bowns said she only knew the plane in Vancouver, every“snippets” about her great-great body couldn’t be friendlier,” she grandfather prior to her visit to said. “I’m just overwhelmed by Canada, and Fort Langley. the friendliness of everybody. “We knew he was… governorYou walk down the street and general of British Columbia but they say, ‘Hello.’ The folk here it didn’t sort of carry the bend over backwards.” View significance until you start Also taking part in the reading into it,” said Bowns, video & ceremony was Langley photos who first learned about the MP Mark Warawa, who with Douglas Day celebration this was the emcee, Fort past January. Langley-Aldergrove “I emailed Canada House MLA Rich Coleman, and or online in London and they knew Grant Rawstron from nothing about it, and I the Fort Langley Legacy emailed somebody here in Foundation. Canada who passed my The celebration began name on,” Bowns said. “And with a procession from so [FLNHS visitor services manthe Fort Langley Community Hall ager] Mike Starr contacted me.” through the Village and past the Asked if she found Douglas palisade walls of the FLNHS. Day interesting, Bowns answered, It also featured a steel drum “that is the understatement.” band, and Caribbean food from “I’m overwhelmed, I feel terthe Full Barrel Café.
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This year’s Douglas Day celebration at the Fort Langley National Historic Site was a true family affair. On Saturday, the Fort marked the day 155 years ago when Sir James Douglas proclaimed British Columbia a crown colony in Fort Langley’s Big House. Douglas Day celebrations mark the Nov. 19, 1858, occasion. An associated banquet honouring local pioneers is taking place on Tuesday (today). This year’s event at the fort– which included a noon-hour reenactment of the original proclamation – honoured the Caribbeanborn Douglas, who was British Columbia’s first governor. Douglas was born to a Scottish merchant and a Creole woman from Barbados, and later grew up in present-day Guyana on the northeastern shore of South America. The event also celebrated the first lieutenant-governor, Barbados-born Colonel Richard Moody. Marilyn Moseley, Consul for Barbados, spoke during the ceremony and said, “Our Prime Minister sends his greetings and for him, he’s saying that it is amazing that here in British Columbia and Fort Langley we would recognize the history of a gentleman like Col. Douglas, whose mother was born in
Troy Landreville/Langley Advance
Members of a procession made their way up Mavis Avenue on their way to the Fort Langley National Historic Site as part of the Douglas Day celebration on Saturday, Nov. 16.