Japanese Canadian Monument Fall 2026

“It was a vision to honour everyone by name on a grand scale, where despite this history of the shattering of community, all families are able to find their loved ones and connect them to their place of uprooting. By honouring our people, most of whom have been lost to time, we reconnect their names to the communities we once called home, seeking healing across generations.” – Susanne Tabata, CEO, Japanese Canadian Legacies Society

This October marks an historic moment when a Japanese Canadian Monument will be unveiled in Victoria. After six years of work, an entire community of uprooted Japanese Canadians will be honoured together according to their place of uprooting.   

In preparation for the opening, JC Legacies will be running a series of articles that highlight the work being done to create this place of memory. 

Returning to the Port of Entry

In the 1800s, Victoria served as Canada’s Pacific port of entry; the inner harbour was where the first Japanese immigrants stepped ashore to begin their lives in this country.

Situated a short distance from the BC Legislature, Ross Bay Cemetery, and Beacon Hill Park, the Monument ensures that the community’s history is anchored at the seat of provincial power. 

A Generational Debt

At its heart, this project is an act of profound gratitude. We owe an immeasurable debt to our elders who endured the trauma of dispossession with quiet dignity, shielding their children from the full brunt of their suffering while rebuilding their lives from nothing.

This Monument is not merely a list of forgotten names; it is a long-overdue acknowledgment of a community that endured through incredible hardship and injustice and found a way to persevere. By engraving their names in granite, we ensure that our ancestors are remembered not as statistics of a government policy, but as the foundation of our community.

Project Update

Ground was broken on the Monument in fall 2025 following a ground blessing ceremony by Esquimalt and Songhees First Nations with a cedar brushing witnessed by members of the Victoria Japanese Canadian community, including survivors and descendants.

The first granite panels are currently being installed, beginning on the east side of the park, steps from the home of one of Canada’s first documented Japanese Canadian immigrants. The panels, selected from a granite quarry in Quebec, are being engraved in the east before being shipped west on trucks. Trees and boulders have been selected, and landscaping and paving are set to begin shortly.