Leona’s Kids

Meet Leona Risby and the Gibson family, whose music and dance performances became part of Vancouver’s Black cultural history in Strathcona.

Leona Risby and Jim Gibson arrived from Alberta with their children in 1932. Leona opened the Country Club Café at 247 East Georgia in 1949, where Leonard, Thelma and Chic performed Afro-Caribbean jazz and tap floorshows.

One of ten stories about Vancouver’s historic Black community in Strathcona. Explore the historic map, read the community timeline, or use the Black Strathcona student study guide.