Residents and visitors to Victoria will have a new destination for reflection and learning as construction begins on a monument park honouring Japanese Canadians in B.C. who were forcibly displaced, dispossessed and interned during the Second World War.

“The forced displacement and internment of Japanese Canadians was a grave injustice when government failed in its duty to protect people’s rights and dignity,” said Niki Sharma, Attorney General. “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. It is also a commitment to keep learning from the past toward a more just future.”

The monument park is being developed in partnership with the Japanese Canadian Legacies Society. It will be located on Academy Close in Victoria, directly south of the St. Ann’s Academy National Historic Site and within walking distance of the legislature and Beacon Hill Park.

“We are grateful to government for recognizing the contributions of the many Japanese Canadians who helped shape this province,” said Susanne Tabata, CEO, Japanese Canadian Legacies Society. “By honouring our people, most of whom have been lost to time, we reconnect their names to the communities we once called home, seeking healing across generations.”

The park’s centrepiece will be a wall of names honouring 22,000 people of Japanese descent — most born in Canada — who were displaced from their homes in B.C. during the 1940s. It will also include the names of 3,000 children born after uprooting. The wall will be surrounded by a Japanese-inspired garden that will provide space for quiet reflection and community gatherings.

“This monument park is a powerful reminder of the harm caused when racism and fear are allowed to shape public policy,” said Amna Shah, parliamentary secretary for anti-racism initiatives. “It honours the strength and resilience of Japanese Canadians and invites all of us to confront racism wherever it exists. By remembering this painful history, we help ensure that such injustice is never repeated.”

Development of this site has been conducted in consultation with B.C.’s Japanese Canadian community, Victoria residents and Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations. KPMB Architects and PFS Studio have been contracted to design and construct the monument park, which is expected to be completed by fall 2026.

“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.”

This project is part of a $100-million redress package announced by the Province in May 2022 to support heritage, cultural and education initiatives to provide lasting recognition of historical wrongs committed by the Province of B.C. against Japanese Canadians during the Second World War.

Quick Facts:

• Beginning in early 1942, more than 90% of Japanese Canadians living in British Columbia were detained under the War Measures Act and were stripped of their homes, possessions and businesses.
• After the war ended, Japanese Canadians were given the choice to move east of the Rockies or go to Japan, a country many had never known.
• In 1949, four years after the end of the Second World War, Japanese Canadians were allowed to return to the West Coast.
• They were subjected to racist policies and treatment for years, and many communities never recovered.

Learn More:

To read more about the historical wrongs committed against Japanese Canadians and the redress from the Province, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/26851

To stay up to date with construction, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/multiculturalism-anti-racism/japanese-canadian-monument-park

To learn more about the Japanese Canadian Legacy Society, visit: https://jclegacies.com/