Legacy Society News
On May 21, 2022, BC Premier John Horgan announced the BC Government would be providing $100Million towards legacy initiatives honouring Japanese Canadians. These initiatives had been proposed as projects across six areas: 1) anti-racism [non-monetary]; 2) education; 3) monument; 4) seniors health & wellness; 5) heritage; 6) community & culture. While acknowledging our elders past and present, we are grateful to the community members who continuously believed that this injustice should be redressed.
Work During Summer Months
In May, the elements of the six pillars had been developed and essentially approved in principle by the BC Government, the agreements were not finalized and the funds had not been released.
From May 22, 2022 to end of September, 2022, all focus was put on further developing, writing, and refining the Seniors Health and Wellness Fund project outline and operations budget for approval by the BC Government. We ask for the community’s understanding that this has taken so much longer than we ever could have imagined, and we humbly thank you for your patience.
Seniors Health & Wellness | $32Million
An expanded Japanese Canadian Survivors Health & Wellness Fund is a cornerstone of BC Redress and a key initiative. The demonstrated effectiveness of the $2Million Nikkei Seniors Health Care & Housing Society grant for the Japanese Canadian Survivors Health & Wellness Fund, plus a lot of work done by the JCLS, has given the BC government confidence that the community can distribute a $30Million fund with up to 10 percent of the fund towards services to assist with the trauma caused by these events, including intergenerational trauma.
Education | $500Thousand
The Teacher Education Committee has been created with a core advisory of Masako Fukawa, Greg Miyanaga, Vivian Wakabayashi Rygnestad, and Connie Kadota. The Teacher Education committee Project Director is Mike Perry-Whittingham. The three-year project consists of two key components: development of a Japanese Canadian History Learning Portal; and the creation of a Digital Course for Teacher Training. Teacher recruitment is underway.
Heritage | $14.5Million
The Heritage package totals $14.5Million. This total was arrived at by surveying and aggregating funding needs for the establishment and maintenance of important community heritage sites in BC.
$10Million BC Heritage Sites Fund will include the further project planning of: Pitt Meadows/Maple Ridge; Surrey; Hastings Park; Miyazaki House; VJLS; Powell Street; Nanaimo; Cumberland; four Gulf Islands; Ucluelet; Prince Rupert; gardens & cemeteries. In addition to large projects, a second tier of smaller heritage sites projects will be considered for funding. Detailed project planning for the Heritage Sites will be created and the Standing Committee will be created with planning work to start in November.
$3.5Million fund for the NNMCC’s Digital Database Hub and Heritage Portal, which will benefit Japanese Canadians across Canada, will be initiated in the next two months.
$1Million fund to the Village of New Denver for maintenance and operations of the Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre will be initiated in the next two months.
Community & Culture | $15Million
The Community and Culture Fund of $15Million provides the most discretionary funding, and this funding is the most forward looking, with potential to support young Japanese Canadians across Canada.
A $12Million Community Fund will be carefully set up over the next six months, with grants for all Japanese Canadians divided into community-led programming; infrastructure funding; arts and culture funding; and scholarships, skills and training.
$2.25Million is set aside for capacity building for NAJC with hopes that the organization increases its staffing capacity and continues to build better organizational support in Canada
$750Thousand is set aside for a community space in an historic area in Vancouver.
The next six months will be early planning cycles for both BC heritage sites & the community fund.
Monument
A monument in Victoria, the province’s Capitol, is being planned to honour all Japanese Canadians. Funding is being set up to begin the work of assembling and disambiguating the list of names of all Japanese Canadians who were uprooted, dispossessed, interned and displaced. Estimated at under $400,000, this work will take place at the University of Victoria, and will require up to one year to complete under a Project Director, to be announced. This fund and project will be managed jointly by Ministry of Attorney General; Ministry of Citizens Services; and Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. Early work is underway with the team at the BC Government to identify project scope. Community involvement will follow. Total allocation will be determined to this project once it is properly budgeted. A project plan is being jointly developed with the BC Government. JCLS will not manage the money. Please stay turned for more news.
BC Redress Background
The essential parameters of the BC Redress Fund Framework are summarized below. These have been arrived at through a long series meetings and reports. Beginning with the NAJC’s 2019 BC Redress community consultations which legitimizes everything that follows, Recommendations for Redressing Historical Wrongs Against Japanese Canadians in BC (BC Redress Steering Committee led by Maryka Omatsu/October 2019). Stakeholder validations followed, and the meta data from the original consultations was analyzed producing the document which began to shape specific legacy initiatives, BC Redress Asks Development and Communications Road Map (Tabata/Noble 2020). Additional community consultations with Japanese Canadian organizations occurred through 2020. A presentation to the Premier’s Office of the NAJC BC Redress Japanese Canadian Legacy Initiatives (Tabata/July 2020). Analysis on seniors health care needs and justification of loss of identity performed by the Institute of Fiscal Studies in Democracy (IFSD September 2020); and the series of five meetings to present six concrete BC Redress pillars to BC Cabinet Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries, and senior ministerial staff through 2021, culminating in a final summary package delivered to Premier Horgan on September 22, 2021, Legacy Initiatives to Redress Historical Wrongs Against Japanese Canadians (Tabata/Noble September 2021).
These ‘asks’ were made directly to the relevant BC Government Ministries by survivors, individuals, and community organizations, and they were received and responded to constructively, and in good faith.
We humbly move forward to continue this work.
Japanese Canadian Survivors Health & Wellness Fund Society | $30Million
Under the umbrella of the JCLS, the Japanese Canadian Survivors Health and Wellness Fund Society will be distributing the full $30Million to implement funds for health supports for individuals survivors, who are Japanese Canadians survivors of the BC Government’s actions, (1942 -1949). The Society will allocate up to 10% of the fund towards services to assist with the trauma caused by these events, including intergenerational trauma.
The Board consists of BC individuals with community service experience in working with our seniors: Cathy Makihara; Ruth Coles; Kelvin Higo; and David Iwaasa. The Board has ensured there is a strong regional representation by recruiting Ann Ashley (Ontario), Shelley Yamashita (Ontario), Susan Matsumoto (Alberta), and Marlene Mori (Manitoba). Rounding off the Board are money management and strategic management experts Fred Yada and Karen Nishi. Susanne Tabata is the liaison to the BC Government government and has developed the preliminary operations plans with Cathy Makihara.
Remembering Karen Kobayashi
At the inception of the new society formed on March 31, 2022, founding board member Karen Kobayashi passed away. Her work advocating for Tsunagu will be continued with the new fund as it addresses the intergenerational trauma with a national program. We honour Karen by honouring her legacy.