On April 22, 70 years ago, a ship called the Princess Jones took Victorians of Japanese descent away from their homes for good.
To mark the occasion on Sunday, historians Ann-Lee Switzer and her husband, Gordon, launched their new book about this vanished community at Victoria City Hall.
The Switzers discovered the need for the book while researching the Japanese cemetery in Victoria.
B次元官网网址淲e thought that we could just look up the history of the Victoria-Japanese community and put it in our book about the cemetery,B次元官网网址� Ann-Lee said. B次元官网网址淏ut there was nothing B次元官网网址� so we got to work.B次元官网网址�
Gateway to Promise: CanadaB次元官网网址檚 first Japanese Community, covers the history of the Japanese community in Victoria until April 22, 1942, when they were exiled to internment camps on suspicion of espionage by the Canadian government.
The book covers the Japanese Tea Garden on the Gorge, the donation of cherry trees, the Methodist church and other contributions.
B次元官网网址淎lthough it was a small community, they were integrated into the (greater) community,B次元官网网址� Ann-Lee said.
After the Japanese military bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941, many Victorians expressed sympathy for their Japanese neighbours, she added. Through the research project, the Switzers got in touch with many of the survivors who left Victoria for good as teenagers.
B次元官网网址淢ostly they had happy memories of Victoria B次元官网网址� and they didnB次元官网网址檛, most of them, carry much bitterness,B次元官网网址� Ann-Lee said. B次元官网网址淢any of them still keep in touch with their friends in Victoria. ItB次元官网网址檚 amazing.B次元官网网址�
rholmen@vicnews.com
Did you know?
B次元官网网址� On Feb. 27, 1942, Victoria city council voted to endorse a resolution passed by the City of Kelowna stating, in part:
B次元官网网址淏次元官网网址� that all male Japanese of military age should be interned; that any evacuation of other Japanese to east of the Cascade Mountains should be under strict supervision of the Dominion Authorities B次元官网网址� and should be effected in a manner that would not arouse popular indignation and outrage.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址� This month Coun. Charlayne Thornton-Joe told council she would be introducing a motion to rescind councilB次元官网网址檚 original motion from 1942.
