Benson “Ben” Flores (May 1846 – April 11, 1929):Canada’s First Filipino Immigrant and Beloved Bowen Islander

By Pat Parungao

“Ben Flores … was such a good friend.  He was genuine – he would share, share and share alike – In all the work we did together.  He was a really good person.”  George Dorman, neighbour.

 
Joseph Lopez.  https://www.canadianfilipino.net/community/first-filipino-canadian-benson-flores-arrived-1861-part-4-of-4

Flores is the first known Filipino immigrant to Canada.  He arrived in 1861 as a 15-year-old seaman on a foreign vessel a decade before BC would join Canadian Confederation in 1871.  He was everybody’s friend on Bowen Island and was the kind of person who you would want to have as a neighbour and friend.   He lived on a float house in Snug Cove, Bowen Island (Nex̱wlélex̱wm in in the Squamish language), and liked to play the concertina and sing.  He was a giving person and was known to “paddle around in his dugout with a sack of crabs and dump them on your beach.”  

Flores was a man of many talents.  His resilience, courage and spirit of adventure led him to become a skilled fisherman, trapper, beachcomber, lover of tobacco and an entrepreneur who ran the first boat rental operation in Snug Cove, Bowen Island, showcasing his foresight and contribution to the island’s growing tourism economy.  His neighbour George quipped that Ben “knew people before they even came to Bowen Island.”   

In 1892, Flores staked a land claim of more than 60 acres on the island, though he ultimately preferred his life on the water in his humble floating home. Today, the land he once claimed has become part of a residential community.

Flores lived a full life but struggled in his later years with bladder and kidney disease. He passed away on April 11, 1929, at Vancouver General Hospital and was buried in an unmarked grave at Mountain View Cemetery.  According to the 1911 census of Canada, Flores was Catholic and a bachelor.  

For decades his story was nearly forgotten – until freelance journalist and radio host Joseph Lopez discovered a mention about him in Irene Howard’s book Bowen Island 1872 – 1972.  Intrigued, Lopez embarked on a decade-long search to identify who was on record as the first Filipino immigrant in Canada.  He even met author Irene Howard during his research.