Work has started on a new monument park in Victoria that will recognize and honour the more than 22,000 Japanese Canadians who were “forcibly displaced, dispossessed and interned” during the Second World War by the federal government.
The monument park will be located behind St. Ann’s Academy, near the intersection of Southgate Street and Blanshard Street, within walking distance of the B.C. Legislature and Beacon Hill Park.
The province, in partnership with the Japanese Canadian Legacies Society, is leading the project as part of its commitment to acknowledgment and redress for historical injustices.
“The forced displacement and internment of Japanese Canadians was a grave injustice when the government failed in its duty to protect people’s rights and dignity,” said B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma. “This monument park will stand as a lasting place of remembrance, honouring the families and communities who endured so much and ensuring their stories are never forgotten.”
The monument will feature a wall inscribed with the names of more than 22,000 Japanese Canadians who were interned during the Second World War.
After a year of research, a team at the University of Victoria identified and verified the names, organizing them by the communities where individuals lived prior to 1942.
In addition to the monument, the park will include a traditional Japanese garden designed as a place of remembrance, learning and healing. It will also serve as a public gathering space to reflect on the injustices of internment and the resilience of the Japanese Canadian community.
In a press release, the province stated that thousands of Japanese descent, most of them Canadian citizens, were stripped of their homes, possessions and businesses. Many were sent to internment camps in B.C.’s Interior or forced to leave the province. Even after the war ended, they were not permitted to return to the West Coast until 1949.
“When completed, the monument park will be a testament to the spirit and tenacity of Japanese Canadians who continue to thrive after the tremendous hardships they have endured,” said Diana Gibson, minister of citizens’ services and MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head. “I am pleased that my ministry could play a partnership role with the Attorney General and Japanese Canadian Legacies Society to help mark the many contributions Japanese Canadians have made to society and signify that this special space will be a place to preserve their legacy for generations to come.”
The province describes the monument as a step toward reconciliation, providing a dedicated space for education, remembrance and community connection in the heart of the capital.
Construction is expected to begin in summer 2025 and be completed by fall 2026.
To read more about the historical wrongs committed against Japanese Canadians by the B.C. government, visit news.gov.bc.ca/26851.