2012
MLA Naomi Yamamoto, the first Japanese Canadian to be elected to the BC Legislature, leads a Motion of Apology to the Japanese Canadians in the BC Legislature, supported by the Japanese Canadians including Tosh Suzuki who led the initiative.
L to R, Front row: Michael Abe, Dick Nakamura, Adrian Dix (Leader of the Opposition), Midge Ayukawa, Honorable Minister, Advanced Education Naomi Yamamoto, Mas Yamamoto, Vivian Rygnestad, Roy Katsuyama; Back row: Tosh Suzuki, Amy Suzuki, Aiko Sutherland, Guy Gentner (NDP MLA North Delta), Susan Kurushima, Tsugio Kurushima, Henry Shimizu, Joan Shimizu, Katrine Conroy (NDP MLA West Kootenay) Photo courtesy of Joan Shimizu.
2018
April 19
NAJC BC Chapter Presidents visit the Legislature and Premier Horgan to formally request the BC Government to engage with the Japanese Canadian community in discussions on the form and scope of appropriate measures to redress the past wrongs. The visit was led by NAJC President David Mitsui and NAJC Vice President/GVJCCA President Lorene Oikawa, with representation from Central Vancouver Island Japanese Cultural Association (Eiko Eby), Kamloops Japanese Canadian Association (George Uyeda), Vernon Japanese Cultural Society (Rick Ogasawara) & Victoria Nikkei Cultural Society (Tsugio Kurushima).
2019
March 20
The BC Government enters into a contract with the NAJC to coordinate community consultations to gather input and develop specific recommendations for possible legacy initiatives that incorporate the collective needs of the Japanese Canadian community and constitute a meaningful follow-up to the 2012 BC Government apology.
The NAJC forms a Steering Committee to conduct community consultations across Canada and produce a report on BC Redress for the BC Government. The committee is led by Maryka Omatsu and Art Miki (Co-Chairs), and comprised of Lynn Kobayashi, Judy Hanazawa, Les Kojima, and Eiko Eby, and with key administrative support from NAJC Executive Director Kevin Okabe.
Community consultations are conducted with presentations of Swimming Upstream, a video essay created by Justice Maryka Omatsu, which provides a clear history of BC Government’s policies promoting ethnic cleansing, permanent dispossession, and community destruction.
Community Consultations are held in British Columbia: New Denver, Burnaby, Kamloops, Vernon, Kelowna, Nanaimo, Victoria, Vancouver | Alberta: Calgary, Edmonton | Manitoba: Winnipeg | Ontario: Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton
November 15
Recommendations for Redressing Historical Wrongs Against Japanese Canadians in BC is formally delivered to Hon. Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism Arts and Culture, capturing the voices of 644 individual community members who contributed to consultations across 15 cities and online.
December
The NAJC forms a BC Redress Government Engagement Committee, led by Susanne Tabata and comprised of Angus McAllister, Susanne Tabata, Paul Kariya, Maryka Omatsu, Art Miki, Les Kojima, Eiko Eby, and Carmel Tanaka, to discuss presenting BC Redress to the BC Government.
2020
January
Led by Susanne Tabata, the NAJC engages in further breakdown and analysis of consultation data, as well as supplemental consultations with Japanese Canadian stakeholder groups, responsible for community program implementation & service delivery, to refine Redressing Historical Wrongs themes into a concrete package of BC Redress requests to be presented to the BC Government.
June
The NAJC forms a BC Redress Negotiations Committee comprised of Susanne Tabata, Lorene Oikawa, Paul Kariya, Art Miki, Maryka Omatsu, Les Kojima and Eiko Eby.
July
An initial BC Redress summary package is delivered to BC Premier John Horgan by Susanne Tabata, Lorene Oikawa, and Paul Kariya. Additional analysis provided by Dr. Audrey Kobayashi & Mr. Takashi Ohki.
November
The NAJC engages the Institute for Fiscal Studies & Democracy, headed by former Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page, for analysis of the preliminary BC Redress package. IFSD is asked to provide fiscal assessment and analysis of ‘reasonableness’ of the BC Redress package in light of historical precedents. The IFSD Report is submitted to the BC Government in November, 2020, following BC’s October 2020 provincial election.
2021
March 31
Working with the newly elected government, including MLA Rachna Singh, BC’s new Parliamentary Secretary for Anti-Racism Initiatives, and the Hon. David Eby, BC Attorney General, the NAJC secures an initial $2 million Health & Wellness grant to provide for the immediate needs, as well as to conduct a needs assessment, for Japanese Canadian survivors.
In an initial meeting with Hon. David Eby, Parliamentary Secretary Rachna Singh, Deputy Minister to the Attorney General Richard Fyfe, and additional staff, the BC Government delivers a commitment to work with the Japanese Canadian community on the BC Redress package.
May 5
A press conference is held to announce the $2 million contribution toward what would become the Japanese Canadian Survivor Health and Wellness Fund. The press conference include Raj Chouhan, Speaker of the BC Legislature, Rachna Singh, Parliamentary Secretary for Anti-Racism Initiatives, Bernie Skundaal Williams, Ruth Coles, President, Nikkei Seniors Health Care and Housing Society, Mary Kitagawa, Japanese Canadian Elder, and Cathy Makihara, past Executive Director, Nikkei Seniors Health Care and Housing Society. najc.ca/province-takes-step-to-acknowledge-historical-wrongs-against-japanese-canadians
Summer
The BC Redress Negotiations Committee continues to meet with the BC Government to further refine the BC Redress proposals. BC Government meetings are being led by Susanne Tabata, BC Redress Project Director, and with NAJC and Negotiations Committee representation from Lorene Oikawa and Paul Kariya. To date, the BC Government response has been positive and collaborative, and we are working toward delivery of a comprehensive BC Redress package during Fall 2021, in order that a BC Redress package can be included in the 2022 BC Budget.