The attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 marked the turning point in the lives of the Nikkei in Canada. In response to public pressure rooted in anti-Asian racism, the federal government ordered the forced uprooting of close to 21,500 Japanese Canadians living within the restricted area, 100 miles along the west coast of B.C., and confiscated their property by October 31, 1942. The majority of the Nikkei were forcibly removed from their homes and detained in internment sites in the province, while others were sent to road and prisoner-of-war camps, industrial project sites, and sugar beet farms across the country. (Photo credit UBC Library, Japanese Photograph Collection, Access Identifier: JCPC_29_010)
Located in southern B.C. and today identifies itself as the smallest city in Canada, Greenwood was the first of ten internment sites in the province where approximately 1,200 Nikkei were relocated during World War II. (Photo credit Yuasa family collection)
On June 7, 1964, Prime Minister Pearson referred to the internment of Canadians of Japanese descent as “a black mark on traditional Canadian fairness and devotion to principles of human rights.” It was not until September 22, 1988 that Prime Minister Mulroney acknowledged the federal government’s wrongful treatment of the Nikkei and reached a redress settlement with the Japanese Canadian community. On May 7, 2012, the Province of British Columbia issued a formal apology to the Japanese Canadian community for the internment of approximately 22,000 Nikkei during and after World War II. A decade later on May 21, 2022, B.C. Premier John Horgan announced a $100 million funding initiative in recognition of the injustices committed by the province during the war. The resilience of the first immigrants of Japanese ancestry and their children paved the way for future generations to enjoy the rights and freedoms shared by all Canadian citizens. (Photo by William Milliot on Unsplash )
The Nikkei Legacy Park celebrated its transformation with a 15th century Japanese rock garden at the grand opening of the Nikkei Memorial Garden on July 20, 2025. (Photo credit Ciel Sander)
My high school days in Greenwood were quite different. Sacred Heart Catholic School went up to grade eight, and after that the students went to Greenwood High School. I originally went to United Church School in grade one in 1942 and I was transferred to Greenwood Elementary School after. I believe grade two. So, I do remember most of the students that got together at grade nine. All was good until our school burnt down December 31st, 1951. The balance of the year was commuting to Grand Forks. I was in grade eleven at the time. During the summers, I had a job in a fish cannery on the Skeena River. When I returned from the cannery in 1952, I was confronted by the principal whether I was going to attend the high school there. I naturally said that I expect to but what is the problem? I was told that everyone made an arrangement to finish their schooling elsewhere, and I would be the only there. As I was too immature to do anything, I decided to stay if they will have me. Unfortunately, as I was the only one there, they just gave me some textbooks to study on my own which was not a good situation for me. However, I did what I could and took my government exams, and passed them all except English. Because of it, I did not complete my high school and I don’t have a diploma to this day. When my daughter was entering high school in Vancouver, I told her about my experience and I would beat her to a diploma. When she was graduating, she said, “I beat you!” Recently, I had an occasion to meet my old high school teacher named Louie Hanic and Shirley McDonald. I think they were married after leaving Greenwood. They live in Vancouver and I told them about the reunion that you had in Richmond a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, I did not meet up with them but they tell me that they were there. The reason why in the grad photo there were only two graduates in 1953? What happened was that Anna Nakagawa was taking the general program and I was taking the university program. I believe that, in order to graduate with the university program, there were certain courses that were prerequisites. English was one of them. As I understood at the time, since they always had a graduating class, the grad committee thought that they will have a tea gathering at the school. Did you notice that I was wearing a brand new suit? Pretty good looking kid, aye? Gordon Mayede, Sales Associate Advisor, CFP, CLUSun Life FinancialBurnaby, B.C.