Joseph Seraphim Fortes (9 February 1863 – 4 February 1922) was a British-Canadian
lifeguard. He was a prominent figure in the early history of
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
, and the city's first official lifeguard.
Early life
Joe Fortes was born in 1863 in
Port of Spain,
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...
. His father was a
Barbadian "of full African blood" and his mother was "entirely or largely"
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
or
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
. At 17 Fortes left Trinidad for England. Residing for five years in
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...
, he learned to swim at St George’s Baths, where he became a swimmer and diver of some note. He won a three-mile race across the Mersey River, received a gold medal for life-saving, and exhibited his talents as part of an 11-person swim team in a tour of English and French seaside resorts. In 1884 he sailed around Cape Horn from
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...
on the ''Robert Kerr'', arriving in
Burrard Inlet
french: Baie Burrard
, image = Burrard Inlet 201807.jpg
, image_size = 250px
, alt =
, caption = Aerial view of Burrard Inlet
, image_bathymetry = Burrard-Inlet-map-en.svg
, alt_bathymetry ...
, a coastal fjord in southwestern
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
, in September 1885. His name occurs repeatedly in the ship's log as Seraphim Fortes.
Arrival in Vancouver
Fortes came to Granville (Vancouver) on the Robert Kerr, debarking on 30 Sept. 1885. Making his home at
English Bay, he lived in a tent on the beach during the milder months of the year. After the start of the 20th century, he moved into a cottage at the foot of Bidwell Street on the shore-side of Beach Avenue. His little house was later moved to the other side of the street, just east of Alexandra Park.
Lifeguarding in English Bay
Fortes ran Vancouver’s earliest shoeshine stand, in the Sunnyside Hotel on Water Street. Afterwards, he worked as a bartender and porter at such local establishments as the Bodega Saloon on Carrall Street in Strathcona and the Alhambra Hotel at the corner of Carrall and Water. Known to be clean, sober, and an expert mixer of cocktails, he was most famous, however, for his volunteer work as a swimming instructor and lifeguard. He was a common sight at English Bay beach, where he taught thousands of children to swim. It was not until around 1897 that the city, in recognition of his services, put him on its payroll as a lifeguard; at some point, he was also made a special police constable. He reputedly saved more than 100 people from drowning.
His contemporaries referred to him respectfully and lovingly as "Old Black Joe" or "English Bay Joe". The stocky, dark-skinned man was a friend and teacher to the children, a guard for the bathers and a hero to people in distress. He has been officially credited with saving 29 lives, yet it is believed that the real number is considerably higher.
In 1910, the City honoured Joe Fortes for his many years of service to the public by presenting him with a gold watch, a cheque, and an illuminated address.
Legacy
Fortes died on February 4, 1922, at
Vancouver General Hospital
Vancouver General Hospital (locally known as VGH, or Vancouver General) is a medical facility located in Vancouver, British Columbia. It is the largest facility in the Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre (VHHSC) group of medical facilit ...
from a
paralytic stroke
A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop function ...
, about three weeks after being admitted for
pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...
. A record-breaking funeral procession was held for him. Mourners crowded into
Holy Rosary Cathedral to bid farewell to a brave, kind and modest friend. Fortes was buried in
Mountain View Cemetery. A flat stone marks his grave, simply inscribed: "JOE".
On June 24, 1927, the citizens of Vancouver dedicated a monument to Joe Fortes. The fountain in Alexandra Park by sculptor
Charles Marega bears the inscription: LITTLE CHILDREN LOVED HIM.
On May 20, 1976, the Joe Fortes Branch of the
Vancouver Public Library
Vancouver Public Library (VPL) is the public library system for the city of Vancouver, British Columbia. In 2013, VPL had more than 6.9 million visits with patrons borrowing nearly 9.5 million items including: books, ebooks, CDs, DVDs, video game ...
was dedicated to his name and in 1985, one hundred years after he arrived in Canada, the Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House restaurant opened.
In 1986, during Vancouver's centennial year, the Vancouver Historical Society named Joseph Seraphim Fortes "Citizen of the Century."
In 2002, he was the subject of a
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary f ...
animated short ''Joe'', directed by Jill Haras with a voice cast featuring Blu Mankuma.
In 2013,
Canada Post
Canada Post Corporation (french: Société canadienne des postes), trading as Canada Post (french: Postes Canada), is a Crown corporation that functions as the primary postal operator in Canada. Originally known as Royal Mail Canada (the opera ...
released a
postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office, postal administration, or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage (the cost involved in moving, insuring, or registering mail), who then affix the stamp to the f ...
of Joe Fortes on February 1 celebrating
Black History Month
Black History Month is an annual observance originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. It has received official recognition from governments in the United States and Canada, and more recently ...
. The stamp's release marks the 150th anniversary of Joe's birth. The stamp was designed by
Lara Minja.
Press Release of Stamp
at the Canada Post
Canada Post Corporation (french: Société canadienne des postes), trading as Canada Post (french: Postes Canada), is a Crown corporation that functions as the primary postal operator in Canada. Originally known as Royal Mail Canada (the opera ...
Website.
References
External links
Joe Fortes Branch
Vancouver Public Library
Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online: Joseph Seraphim Fortes
Joe Fortes Seafood and Chop House
restaurant
Ronsdale Press » ''Our Friend Joe: The Joe Fortes Story''
*Watc
''Joe''
at the National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary f ...
website
News Article on the release of the Joe Fortes Stamp
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fortes, Joe
1863 births
1922 deaths
People from Port of Spain
Lifeguards
Trinidad and Tobago emigrants to Canada
Canadian people of Barbadian descent
Black Canadian people
People from Vancouver
Trinidad and Tobago expatriates in the United Kingdom
Burials at Mountain View Cemetery (Vancouver)
History of Black people in British Columbia