Former Canadian Internment Camps for Japanese Citizens

Not only in the United States, but also in Canada, citizens of Japanese descent were interned during the Second World War. Almost 23,000 Nikkei, or Canadians of Japanese descent, were sent to camps, separating families. The men were put to work on various (heavy) projects, while the women and children were held elsewhere. The families had to sell their possessions, often at low prices, and use the proceeds to pay for their forced accommodation.

In British Columbia, they were put to work building the Yellowhead Highway. Along this road, which runs from Jasper to Blue Rivers, there were several camps where Japanese men, mainly from the coastal areas of British Columbia, were housed and from where the work had to be carried out.

Today, information boards commemorate this unjust treatment and, as the text on this board indicates, the Canadian government acknowledges the injustice that was done and makes a solemn promise that this will never happen again.

Do you have more information about this location? Inform us!

Source

• Text: TracesOfWar
• Photos: Christian Nieuwenhuize