When the Georgia Viaduct was rebuilt (1969-1972), the physical hub of Vancouver’s Black community was razed, dispersing the diverse immigrant enclave. Today, thanks to the Hogan’s Alley Society, important community buildings are going up.
Wayde Compton, the co-founder of the Hogan’s Alley Memorial Project, told CBC Vancouver in 2016: “It was the moment that car culture was hitting North America and people were supposed to live in the suburbs and work in the cities. So they needed to put freeways through, so invariably they targeted black neighbourhoods or Chinatowns, and in Vancouver it was both,” he said.
Compton said putting a highway “right on top of this small black community” was an example of “institutional racism, targeting the community that they thought could least oppose them.”
200 block Prior Street N/S and 200 block Union Street S/S. Archives #CVA 203-34
Where Was Hogan’s Alley
Hogan’s Alley was the unofficial name for Park Lane in Vancouver’s Strathcona neighbourhood. The alley ran between Union and Prior Streets from approximately Main Street to Jackson Avenue. It formed the nucleus of Vancouver’s first concentrated black community. Vancouver’s first archivist, J.S. Matthews, noted that the name “Hogan’s Alley” was in use by 1914.
1971 Viaducts through Strathcona. Archives# CVA 216-1.23
The Residents
From the Vancouver Heritage Foundation: The first black immigrants arrived in British Columbia from California in 1858. They settled in Victoria and Salt Spring Island, but began migrating to Vancouver in the early 1900s, making their homes in Strathcona, an east side, working-class neighbourhood that was the original home to Vancouver’s Italian community, as well as the southern edge of Chinatown. They were joined by black homesteaders from Alberta, who originally came from Oklahoma, and by black railroad porters worked at the Great Northern Railway nearby. Housing discrimination in other parts of Vancouver also concentrated the city’s black population in this area.
Black cultural institutions the neighbourhood was known for included “chicken house” restaurants, which often doubled as speakeasies — best known was Vie’s Chicken and Steak house — as well as the African Methodist Episcopal Fountain Chapel (founded in 1923) and the residential quarters of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. At its height in the 1940s, the black population in Strathcona numbered approximately 800.
The neighbourhood was home to Nora Hendrix, grandmother to rock legend Jimi Hendrix and a cook at Vie’s Chicken and Steak House. Nora Hendrix was involved in the community from the 1920s through to its demise, remaining nearby until the 1980s.
The Hogan’s Alley Society (“HAS”) in Vancouver is a non-profit organization composed of civil rights activists, business professionals, community organizations, artists, writers and academics committed to daylighting the presence of Black history in Vancouver and throughout British Columbia.
Current HAS Projects
The Hogan’s Alley Society partnered with the Portland Hotel Society (“PHS”), the city of Vancouver and BC Housing to deliver a 52-unit temporary modular housing development on the Hogan’s Alley Block. The housing unit has been named Nora Hendrix Place.
Under the approved North East False Creek Plan section 4.4 and 10.4, the City of Vancouver has indicated the intent to establish a Cultural Centre on the 898 Main Street block. The Cultural Centre is to be a focal point for the Black Community with the programming of the Cultural Centre to support community building through food, gathering and celebration, education and empowerment, art music and dance, and research and knowledge of Black Canadian history.
MVRD Black Experience Project aims to begin mapping out the diverse experiences of people of African descent (Black) in Metro Vancouver. This project will begin to examine the experiences of people African descent in the MVRD with the objective to develop a better understanding of their historical contributions, challenges with integration, and their aspirations for the future as they attempt to make Vancouver their home.
Update June 2, 2020. I saw on Twitter that Hogan’s Alley Society submitted a proposal to the City of Vancouver for a community land trust on the former site almost two years ago. Those who saw the post (including a Vancouver City councillor) replied to say they are looking into this.
The Association of Fundraising Professionals Vancouver Chapter (“AFP Vancouver”) is now accepting nominations for the 2020 Giving Hearts Awards.
2019 National Philanthropy Day – Giving Hearts Awards Reception
Giving Hearts Awards
The Givings Hearts Awards honour outstanding individuals, volunteers, leaders, fundraisers, philanthropists and youth of Greater Vancouver’s non-profit and social profit community. Traditionally celebrated on National Philanthropy day (in November) by way of a luncheon event, this year AFP Vancouver will recognize recipients virtually.
“During this challenging and uncertain time, the spirit of generosity shines especially bright in our community. While we cannot all be together in person this year, we feel that it is important to recognize those offering a helping hand when it is needed most,” Kyle Tiney, CFRE, VP Community Engagement, AFP Vancouver.
Organizations and individuals have until June 12, 2020 to submit their nominations for the six award categories: Outstanding Philanthropist, Outstanding Legacy Philanthropist, Outstanding Corporation, Outstanding Small Business, Outstanding Youth Philanthropist and Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser.
Past award recipients have included Gordon and Leslie Diamond, the Beedie Family, Brenden Parker, Sandy So, David Podmore, Barbara Grantham, and Barbara Stewart. National Philanthropy Day has also had the pleasure of awarding companies for their work in our community, some recipients have been CIBC, National Tile LTD, IA Financial Group, and others.
For more information, follow AFP Vancouver on Twitter and Facebook #NationalPhilanthropyDay.
It’s June so that means it’s strawberry season in BC! The BC Strawberry Growers Association has over 40 growers throughout the province, growing fresh and processed strawberries on around 600 acres in the fertile Lower Mainland for over 30 years.
Strawberry Season in BC Where to Pick Strawberries
Here are a few local spots to order online, pick-up, and u-pick strawberries this season:
Surrey Farms 5180 152st, Surrey Now open for u-pick. Fields are open everyday from 9:00am to 6:00pm. U-pick is subject to field availability and supply. Please call ahead for availability: (604) 574-1390. Due to COVID-19 customers are no longer able to bring their own containers. One will be provided for you for a small fee.
Driediger Farms 23823 72nd Ave, Langley The u-pick berry fields hours are 8:00 am to 5:00pm daily, starting mid-June. To avoid disappointment, call ahead (604) 888-1665 to ensure the u-pick berry fields are open. Cost is $2.75 per pound to pick. The use of personal containers or bags from home this season this not allowed. Driediger farms buckets are mandatory at the u-pick booth for $1.50 each.
Emma Lea Farms 2727 Westham Island Rd, Delta Opening soon for u-pick. The use of personal containers is prohibited, containers will be available for purchase.
Willems Berry Farm 33736 Vye Rd, Abbotsford They are starting to take limited amounts of orders for strawberries, call (604) 864-1149 to order. U-pick will be available later in the summer.
Remember to keep 6 feet apart, wash your hands frequently and use available hand sanitizing stations, and keep your family group small when visiting. Enjoy fresh, local produce from Delta to Langley, Surrey to Abbotsford! For more information follow BC Strawberries online.
My usual June events in Metro Vancouver banner features the crows at Hats Off Day in Burnaby, which is traditionally on the first Saturday in June. As a media sponsor of that event for the last few years, I will really miss that community event, which kicked off the summer season for many. While we can’t have 100,000 people eating ice cream and enjoying music along Hastings in Burnaby, the province is opening up gradually as we continue through Phase 2. With that in mind, this month’s event list combines online/virtual events and in-person activities.
Tonight, City Hall will glow orange in recognition of the Vancouver Punjabi Market‘s 50th anniversary. This was the first and largest South Asian Market in North America and although it had humble beginnings on Main Street (between 48th and 51st Avenues), the area transformed into a major cultural hub.
Vancouver Heritage Foundation Photo. The Vancouver Punjabi Market was home of the first Punjabi-language street signs outside of Asia.
May 31, 1970: Sucha Singh Claire opens Shaan Saari’s with a dream of building an ethnic enclave like the one he saw in Southhall, London.
1973: Kewal Pabla opens Himalaya Restaurant, a place where Vancouverites can sample “Pabla’s Exotic East Indian Food & Sweets.”
1979: The Vaisakhi festival was celebrated for the first time on the streets of Vancouver to celebrate the birth of Khalsa.
1980’s: The rest of Vancouver is awakened to the “Little Punjab” growing on a small stretch of South Main.
1993: Vancouver’s Punjabi Market becomes home to the world’s first Punjabi street signs outside of Asia.
2019: City Council voted to pass Motion B.4: “Punjabi Market at Fifty: Celebrating the Past and Planning for the Future.”
The Vancouver Punjabi Market is also recognized as one of the Vancouver Heritage Foundation’s “Places That Matter to Vancouver“:
With the growth of the South Asian community in south Vancouver, Punjabi Market quickly became the heartbeat of the neighbourhood. More than just a market, the community of shops, restaurants and grocery stores provides a connection to homelands across South Asia and a place to learn more about these diasporas in Vancouver.Every year tens of thousands of people congregate in the Punjabi Market to celebrate the Vaisakhi Parade, one of Vancouver’s landmark events.
