Where are all the Black people in Metro Vancouver?

It’s a question some Black and mixed people hear a lot.

But despite the common misconception that there are no Black people here, the community’s population is growing and finding more ways to connect.

In Metro Vancouver, the Black population rose by 38 per cent between 2016 and 2021, from 29,830 people to 41,180, according to Statistic Canada data.

Across all of B.C., the Black population rose 42 per cent during the same time period, from around 43,500 people to 61,760.

The number of Black people in the province now sits at about 1.3 per cent of the total population.

This change in population size is something corporate controller and content creator Viccy Birungi Namuyomba has noticed. She moved to Canada from Uganda about eight years ago.

“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,” said Birungi Namuyomba.

University of British Columbia student Gankal Ka says she has also noticed a change since moving to Metro Vancouver from Senegal in 2021.

“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 said.

The erasure of Vancouver’s Black neighbourhood

Even with an increase in population, it can be challenging for some Black people to connect.

The director of UBC’s Centre for Culture, Identity & Education, Handel Kashope Wright, says there are a variety of reasons why.

“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,” he said.

Vancouver was once home to a Black neighbourhood — Hogan’s Alley.

From the early to mid-1900s, the three-block stretch at the edge of Strathcona was home to a vibrant community that included the African Methodist Episcopal Fountain Chapel and many  Black-owned businesses, such as legendary Vie’s Chicken and Steak House.

But by the 1970s, the community was pushed out and buildings were demolished to make way for the Georgia and Dunsmuir street viaducts.

The executive director of Hogan’s Alley Society, Djaka Blais, says the dismantling of the community has had a lasting effect.

“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,” said Blais.

Wright says the impacts have been profound, and that Hogan’s Alley could have been a node from which Blackness could have grown from.

“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,” Wright said.

The City of Vancouver has agreed to give a community land trust to the Hogan’s Alley Society for the land bordered by Main and Gore streets to the west and east and Union and Prior streets to the north and south, but said there is no set time frame for it.

In return, the society will provide housing, amenities and a cultural centre.

How and where are Black people connecting

While a possible revitalized community hub could be years down the line, there are many places where Black people are able to connect and build community in Metro Vancouver. One place is at the Centre for Integration of African Immigrants in New Westminster.

It was founded more than 20 years ago by Paul Mulangu.

The centre hosts programs like job fairs and tax clinics. It also runs events for seniors and youth, and to celebrate Black History Month.

Mulangu says since Black people tend to be more family-oriented, meeting in person at the centre helps build connections to find jobs and housing.

But Mulangu says it’s hard to keep the programs going when funding from the government isn’t consistent.  

Funding is also a barrier faced by the Black Block Association. The organization has hosted an annual summer Black Block Party at the Vancouver Art Gallery for the past four years.

The block party has musical guests, local businesses selling items, and food and drinks stalls.

The team’s operations lead, Ayobami Suara, says the goal is to keep the event free to make it more accessible to people, which means working with sponsors to cover the costs, totalling up to $60,000.

Suara says the hard work is worth it to bring Black people together but says success is only possible if people come out and support the event.

“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,” he said.

Surrey could be new hub

Another place where Black people are connecting is in Surrey. 

The city is home to much of Metro Vancouver’s Black population, and that’s where Ekaose Nwadiani owns and operates his restaurant, VanSuya.

Nwadiani says his restaurant is home to many other events, including karaoke nights, fundraisers, Independence Day celebrations for various African countries, and Caribbean-themed nights. 

Some of these events are hosted within restaurant hours, but for bigger events that extend past closing time, the business is limited to hosting around six a year because of the licence they have through the City of Surrey. 

“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 said.

He says he’s working with the city to upgrade his operating licence so they can host a variety of events. 

He says his goal is to provide a safe space where Black people can relax and connect with each other.

“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,” Nwadiani said.

But there’s hope for a permanent and long-term space.

“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,” said Suara.

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.