Calendar of events
Fort Langley National Historic Site
James Douglas: A Multicultural Legacy
On November 19, 1858, Sir James Douglas was formally sworn in as the first governor of the newly established Colony of British Columbia at Fort Langley. Born in Guyana to a Creole mother and Scottish father, and later marrying Métis woman Amelia Connolly, Douglas’s diverse heritage has left a lasting impact on BC's cultural landscape.
Join us on Sunday, September 21, for a special event commemorating Douglas’s multicultural legacy through the voices of Black, Scottish, Métis, and First Nations art, history, music, and dance.
Programs
🕑 Activities Throughout the Day:
- Community Booths:
– Guyanese Canadian Cultural Association of BC
– Fort Langley Voyageurs Scottish Country Dance Club -
Family Activity: 'ulu-Maika, a traditional Hawaiian stone-disc game
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Indigenous Food and Gifts: The Ancestor Café (Upper Fort); Spirit Bear Designs Gift Shop (Visitor Centre)
🕑 Scheduled Programs:
10:30 am | Weaving Demonstration with Hazel Gludo
11 am | Performance by the Prickly Thistles String Ensemble
11:30 am | Steel Pan Drumming with Robert Davies
12 pm | Curator’s Corner in the Big House: Explore artifacts connected to James Douglas
12:15 pm | Interactive dance performance with the Fort Langley Voyageurs Scottish Country Dance Club — join in and dance along
12:30 pm | Fort 101 in the Big House: Discussions on Douglas, the proclamation of the colony, and difficult histories
1 pm | Blacksmith Demonstration
1:30 pm | Mr. Robertson, the Scottish boat builder – A presentation by Interpreter Ann
2 pm | The Three Women in Sir James Douglas's life: A Presentation by the Guyanese Association
2:30 pm | Fort 101 in the Storehouse: Discussions on the fur trade, Hudson’s Bay Company, First Nations land use, and resource conflicts
3 pm | Curator’s Corner in the Big House: Explore artifacts connected to James Douglas
3:15 pm | Interactive dance performance with the Fort Langley Voyageurs Scottish Country Dance Club — join in and dance along!
3:30 pm | Blacksmith Demonstration
4 pm | Gold Panning Station Presentation
Learn how the Fraser River Gold Rush led to the proclamation of the Colony of British Columbia, and examine its profound impacts on First Nations communities, both at the time and in the years that followed.
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