Many Black and mixed-race individuals in Metro Vancouver often face questions about the presence of Black people in the region. Contrary to this perception, the Black community is expanding rapidly and developing stronger networks.
Significant Population Growth
The Black population in Metro Vancouver increased by 38% from 2016 to 2021, rising from 29,830 to 41,180 residents, based on Statistics Canada figures. Province-wide in British Columbia, the growth reached 42%, from approximately 43,500 to 61,760 people, representing about 1.3% of the total population.
Shifting Experiences on the Ground
Viccy Birungi Namuyomba, a corporate controller and content creator who relocated from Uganda to Canada eight years ago, observes more Black residents since arriving in 2018. “It’s not as it used to be before where you used to be like a lone wolf walking around Vancouver. So I feel like there’s a shift,” she stated.
University of British Columbia student Gankal Ka, who moved from Senegal in 2021, echoes this observation. “I’d be the only Black student in classes. You look around on campus, you see that one Black person and you’re like, yeah, [I] see you. Whereas now, I think there’s a lot more people both at UBC and outside that you can connect with,” she noted.
Challenges in Building Connections
Despite the growth, forging links remains difficult for some. Handel Kashope Wright, director of UBC’s Centre for Culture, Identity & Education, highlights key factors: “The fact that there aren’t that many Black people, the fact that we’re dispersed and the fact that there are no Black ethno-burbs where you’re just going to bump into a lot of other Black people, and the fact that there’s a need to sort of more consciously bring people together.”
Historical Context: Hogan’s Alley
Vancouver once featured Hogan’s Alley, a vibrant Black neighborhood in Strathcona from the early to mid-1900s. This three-block area housed the African Methodist Episcopal Fountain Chapel and Black-owned businesses like Vie’s Chicken and Steak House.
By the 1970s, the community faced displacement as buildings fell to construct the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts. Djaka Blais, executive director of the Hogan’s Alley Society, describes the enduring effects: “That’s had an impact on people, you know, talking about growing up in Vancouver and having a very isolated experience, whether it’s being the only Black kid in your class or your school, the only Black family in the neighborhood, the only Black person in your workplace, and you’re experiencing racism and discrimination and going through that.”
Wright adds that the loss stifled potential growth: “It could have been a point of connection. And I think the message to that community and successive communities and people who’ve moved here is that Black people might not be particularly welcome.”
In 2022, the City of Vancouver approved transferring land bordered by Main and Gore streets to the west and east, and Union and Prior streets to the north and south, to the Hogan’s Alley Society as a community land trust. The society plans housing, amenities, and a cultural center, though no timeline is set.
Active Community Spaces Today
Black residents connect through various venues. The Centre for Integration of African Immigrants in New Westminster, founded over 20 years ago by Paul Mulangu, offers job fairs, tax clinics, senior and youth programs, and Black History Month events. Mulangu emphasizes family-oriented in-person gatherings for job and housing support, but inconsistent government funding poses challenges.
The Black Block Association organizes an annual free summer Black Block Party at the Vancouver Art Gallery, featuring music, local vendors, food, and drinks, with costs up to $60,000 covered by sponsors. Operations lead Ayobami Suara stresses accessibility: “There’s nothing stopping [5,000], 6,000 people coming for Black Block Party, but you have to be open and willing to, you know, make the trip, go down there.”
In Surrey, a hub for much of the region’s Black population, Ekaose Nwadiani runs VanSuya restaurant, hosting karaoke, fundraisers, Independence Day events, and Caribbean nights. Capacity limits under the city license restrict larger after-hours gatherings to about six annually. “One of the biggest struggles we have is capacity. We have a small capacity, but because it’s really high demand, sometimes we face challenges of going over capacity where we get fines from the liquor board,” Nwadiani explained. He seeks license upgrades to expand events and create safe spaces: “You know, it’s just a way to make you mentally stable because you know that you are walking into a safe space that is your own.”
Vision for a Central Hub
Community leaders like Suara envision a dedicated hub: “A hub, just a hub where we can all come together, connect on a fun level, creative level, professional level, where we can just do things that have never been done in the city before.”
