JCLS Programs – Six Legacy Pillars
“Investing in community healing is ultimately a hopeful act, looking to the future of our community as much as acknowledging and commemorating our past. There is much work to be done, yet we remain deeply resilient and proud of our history and culture.”
– Susanne Tabata
Japanese Canadian Legacies is the implementation of BC Redress. The six legacy pillars reflect the will of the Japanese Canadian community, as expressed through extensive BC Redress community consultations held through 2019 and 2020. The six pillars are: Community & Culture; Heritage Preservation; Monument;
Pillar | Community & Culture
The Community Fund addresses the enduring intergenerational impact that government actions had on the community, investing in the future of the Japanese Canadian community by allocating funds to six project streams: scholarships, community projects, infrastructure, intergenerational wellness, sports, and arts.
Pillar | Heritage Preservation
The BC Heritage Sites program invests in places of memory—prewar communities up and down the west coast where Japanese Canadians settled prior to being uprooted in 1942, as well as internment-era sites in the interior of the province. Together with tangible Legacy Community Projects, these BC Heritage Sites ensure that our history is not only remembered, but woven back into the fabric of the communities we once called home.
Completed Heritage and Legacy Projects can be viewed here.
View our Save the Dates page for a calendar of openings over the next two years.
Pillar | Monument
Currently under construction in Victoria, BC, the Japanese Canadian Monument recognizes the long history and important contributions of Japanese Canadians in British Columbia. In listing the names of nearly 22,000 Japanese Canadian uprooted in the 1940s, the monument acknowledges the forced dispossession and internment of the community during World War II while celebrating their resilience and impact on the region. Designed as a space for reflection, education, and reconciliation, it serves to connect historical truths with a collective commitment to an inclusive future.
The JCLS created an initiative with the University of Victoria to develop a searchable list of names of 22,000 Japanese Canadian men, women, and children based on pre-war places of origin.
The database of names is available here, with people listed according to where they were living in 1942. Also included is a list of those born after their parents were uprooted and prior to restrictions being lifted on Japanese Canadians on April 1, 1949..
Pillar | Education
Finding home. Building community. Fighting for justice.
History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme. The history of Japanese Canadians holds tough questions that persist in our society: Who belongs? How should we balance safety and freedom in times of emergency? How do we hold the government accountable for wrongdoing?
The history of Japanese Canadians is a story of finding home, belonging, and identity. It offers lessons about inequality and justice. It warns of the harms of bad law and government-backed discrimination. At the same time, Japanese Canadian history holds remarkable stories of perseverance and the ongoing fight required to make Canada a just place to call home.
From stories of early immigration to the injustices of the uprooting during the 1940s and later efforts to rebuild community, this history allows students to connect emotionally with the stories of people and build critical understanding of historical wrongs.
https://japanesecanadianhistory.com is a resource for teachers and students K–12
Self-directed Teach Course
Take our free, self-directed course, Introduction to Japanese Canadian History, to build your understanding of Japanese Canadian history and your confidence in what you know. The course covers the history of Japanese Canadians from the arrival of the first immigrants to the injustices of the 1940s, the fight for redress, and contemporary issues. Each module contains a short quiz, so challenge yourself and enjoy learning more about this Canadian story.
