Internment of Japanese Canadians

WWII in Canada

The bombing of Pearl Harbour by the Japanese had a huge impact on Canada:

Many people became worried about a possible Japanese invasion of Canada.

Coastal communities on the west coast (BC) “blacked out” their areas at night to hide their location form possible Japanese airborne attackers.

Because the coast of BC had a large population of Japanese Canadians, they became a target of suspicion.

Why were other Canadians suspicious of Japanese Canadians?

They worried that if Japan attacked, Japanese Canadians might assist the invaders.

There were rumours that the Japanese had planted spies in Canada to prepare for an invasion.

Most Japanese Canadians worked as fishermen. No one could know what they did or who they met with when they were fishing in the Pacific Ocean.

Most white Canadians were already prejudiced against people of other backgrounds, including the Japanese.

The Facts:

In 1941, over 23,000 people of Japanese descent lived in Canada.

22,000 of them lived on the coast of BC.

There was absolutely no evidence that any of them were planning to support Japan instead of Canada.

Some members of the Japanese Canadian community had even fought for Canada in WWI.

Results:

Suspicion of Japanese Canadians soon began to turn into hysteria.

Under the War Measures Act in 1942, the government decided to “invite” the Japanese Canadians who lived on the west coast to move inland.

They began to set up “relocation centers” in the Okanagan.

Initially, 750 people volunteered to move. Soon, they were all forced to leave their homes.

Where they went:

The government set up “Internment Camps” in isolated regions of British Columbia.

Japanese Canadians were forced to stay here until the end of the war.

Families were split up, and women and children went to different camps from their husbands / fathers.

While in the camps, they worked as labourers for the government.

How did the government pay for this?

The government passed a law called the “Custodian of Enemy Property Act” in 1943.

This Act allowed the government to confiscate and sell Japanese Canadian property.

People in the Internment Camps lost their houses, cars, shops, fishing boats, and any other property as it was auctioned off at low prices to their neighbours.

The money from the sales was used to pay for the camps.

After the War

The government offered Japanese Canadians two choices

Repatriate to Japan

Move east of the Rocky Mountains

Over 40 years later, in 1988, the federal government finally apologized to the Japanese Canadian community. It even offered compensation:

1400 people who had been affected by its policies were awarded $21,000 each.