Episode 21: Benson Flores - first Filipino to settle in Canada in 1861. Exclusive interview with Ted Alcuitas

Host Daniel Fontaine has an exclusive interview with local Filipino activist and journalist Ted Alcuitas regarding his efforts to get Benson Flores the proper recognition he deserves.Benson Flores was the first Filipino on record to have settled in Canada - on Bowen Island, British Columbia in 1861. He died in 1929 and was buried in an unmarked grave in Vancouver.While Filipinos are known to have arrived in Canada in 1930s, this is disputed with the 'discovery' of Benson Flores by broadcast journalist Joseph Lopez in 2011.A memorial tombstone will be placed on his grave at Mountainview Cemetery in Vancouver with a Celebration of Life on April 13, 2024. Ted Alcuitas hopes to distribute the film thru YouTube and other platforms to help trace any descendants of Benson Flores as he died a bachelor and left no record of any family.Join Fontaine as he speaks with Alcuitas about his New Westminster connection and why he got involved with this interesting project. You can download For the Record on all major platforms including Spotify, Amazon, Google Podcast and Apple Podcast.