Heritage Preservation

It is an essential element of BC Redress, and of learning from the past, to mark and preserve the historical sites of Japanese Canadian internment. But it is equally important to our community, and to healing together, that we preserve the stories and acknowledge the places where the Japanese Canadian community lived and loved and called home prior to uprooting, the places where we flourished and raised our families and built our businesses.

There is a clear urgency to both elements of this–buildings hastily assembled as temporary shelters were not built to stand for 70 years. Restoring and reviving these historic places is a matter of importance to the history and cultural heritage of all British Columbians and Canadians. But equally clear is the urgency to acknowledge and record the stories of all our surviving elders who wish to share them. We will not have another opportunity to understand, engage with, and preserve our living heritage for the benefit of current & future generations of Japanese Canadians, and of all Canadians. 

The BC Redress Heritage meeting was held on September 2nd, 2021. The meeting was co-chaired by Susanne Tabata, and the community was represented at this meeting by: Howard Shimokura, Tashme Museum; Laura Saimoto, Heritage Sites; Mayor Leonard Casley, Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre (NIMC), New Denver; Mary Kimoto, Ucluelet; and Karah Goshinmon Foster, Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre (NNMCC). 

For the BC Government, Parliamentary Secretary Singh was accompanied by Ministers Hon. Katrine Conroy, Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Hon. Anne Kang, Advanced Education Skills and Training, and Hon. Melanie Mark, Tourism Arts and Culture, along with key government staff and officials.

Our Requests

1. Creation of a $10 million Japanese Canadian Historic Sites Fund to support heritage work across BC, and especially in underserved communities

• Minimum 36 historic sites across BC, markers and/or interpretive spaces, focus on rural and underserved areas ($4,000,000)
• Restoration and maintenance of Memorial Gardens ($1,000,000)
• Larger heritage projects requiring partnerships ($2,000,000)
• Maintenance endowment for BC historic sites ($3,000,000)

2. Funding to NIMC to support urgently required maintenance and restoration ($1,000,000)

• Annual fund of $200,000 for the next five years, with a renewal plan after 5 years
• Funds will help staff the centre with a dedicated full-time manager and funding to maintain the site for the next few years
• Funding will also give staff the opportunity to plan and provide educational and cultural programs and care for the Collections

3. Funding for NNMCC to expand digital heritage access for all Japanese Canadians and increase staff capacity ($3,500,000)

• Collections Database Hub ($1,500,000)
  • To enhance and up-level the existing online database (archives and museum collection) nikkeimuseum.org which acts as a hub for the Nikkei National Museum archives and collection, along with the New Denver Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre (BC), Kamloops Japanese Canadian Museum & Archives (BC) and the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (TO).
• Heritage Portal: a digital resource connective hub ($500,000)
  • Create an online hub to consolidate and connect existing Japanese Canadian historical online resources including research, publications, exhibitions, projects, and heritage sites.
• Up-level staff salaries to build capacity & legacy ($1,500,000)
  • The current NNMCC staff is small but extremely dedicated, passionate about the work required to fulfill our mission, and is composed of experienced and young professionals in the museum and heritage sector. The prospect of growth over the next 5- years will ensure a strong legacy of work and future for the community.

(Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre National Historic Site, New Denver, BC)