About this project
A monument in Victoria, the province’s Capital, is being planned to honour all Japanese Canadians who were uprooted, dispossessed, interned, and displaced in the 1940s. The research to gather names is taking place at the University of Victoria and will be completed by January 31 2024, under the guidance of Project Director, Michael Abe. This fund and project will be managed jointly by the Ministry of Attorney General, the Ministry of Citizens Services and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport.
The dream and vision for the monument is that it will envelope the origin story of Japanese Canadians who settled in cities, towns, and villages, primarily along the coast. The tactile names on the wall will help to recognize individuals and families and where they lived before the forced uprooting, seizure and forced sale of assets, incarceration, internment, permanent dispossession, and two waves of displacement. We hope there will be a digital version of this project wherein people can search for the names and where they are situated on the monument.