On Tuesday, October 28, the Esquimalt and Songhees First Nations held a ground blessing ceremony with a cedar brushing on the future site of the Japanese Canadian Monument Park in Victoria, BC, set to begin construction this fall.

Carmen Dick of Songhees First Nation was the speaker. The cedar brushing, a traditional cleansing ceremony, conducted by elder Mary Ann Thomas of Esquimalt First Nation, covered all areas of the park where the wall of names will be built as well as where the interpretive dedication boulders will be placed. Japanese Canadian Legacies Society thanks the Esquimalt and Songhees First Nations for their blessings, and for welcoming us to this land. 

Members of the Victoria Japanese Canadian community, including survivors and descendants, were present, as well as government officials, members of the design and construction teams, and representatives from Japanese Canadian Legacies Society. Six people from the local Japanese Canadian community took part in the ceremony as witnesses.

“The forced displacement and internment of Japanese Canadians was a grave injustice when government failed in its duty to protect people’s rights and dignity,” said Niki Sharma, attorney general and deputy premier. “This monument park will stand as a lasting place of remembrance, honouring the families and communities who endured so much and ensuring their stories are never forgotten. It is also a commitment to keep learning from the past toward a more just future.”

With this ceremony, construction is now able to begin at the site, which is located on Academy Close, directly south of the St. Ann’s Academy National Historic Site and within walking distance of the legislature and Beacon Hill Park. 

The centrepiece of the finished monument park will be a wall of names that honour 22,000 people of Japanese descent — most born in Canada — who were forcibly displaced from their homes on the west coast of BC during the 1940s. Each name is listed by community to show where people were living at the time of uprooting, and provides a glimpse into the prewar community. It will also include the names of 3,000 children born after uprooting. The wall will be surrounded by a Japanese-inspired garden that will provide space for quiet reflection and community gatherings.

To prepare the list of names, a research team at the University of Victoria, under the direction of Michael Abe, compiled and developed a database from primary source documents at Library and Archives Canada in addition to multiple databases.

Diana Gibson, minister of citizens’ services and member of the legislative assembly for Oak Bay-Gordon Head, said, “I am pleased that my ministry could play a partnership role with the attorney general and Japanese Canadian Legacies Society to help mark the many contributions Japanese Canadians have made to society and signify that this special space will be a place to preserve their legacy for generations to come.”

Development of this site has been conducted in consultation with B.C.’s Japanese Canadian community, Victoria residents, and Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations. KPMB Architects and PFS Studio have been contracted to design and construct the monument park, which is expected to be completed by fall 2026.

 “We are grateful to the government for recognizing the contributions of the many Japanese Canadians who helped shape this province,” said Susanne Tabata, CEO of Japanese Canadian Legacies Society. “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.”

For more information, contact media@jclegacies.com.