Save the Dates
The Japanese Canadian Legacies Society (JCLS) works to preserve and share the history of Japanese Canadians in British Columbia — honouring the pre-war communities that thrived here, and bearing witness to the injustices they endured during and after the war.
The BC Heritage Sites program funds interpretive projects, restorations, and signage at historically significant locations across the province — from coastal fishing and farming communities to interior internment sites.
Legacy Community Projects create tangible, lasting, meaningful works that tells the full story of the pre-war, wartime, and postwar Japanese Canadian experience, leaving a permanent record for generations to come.
Survivors, Descendants, and their families are warmly welcomed at all events, as is anyone with an interest in this important chapter of BC’s history.
A number of sites are now open and welcoming visitors. Visit jclegacies.com/place-of-memory-heritage-and-legacy-sites for information.
August 16, 2026
Mayne Island
Japanese Canadian Legacies Project
August 29, 2026
Ucluelet
Japanese Canadian History Pavilion
September 2026 (date TBA)
University of Victoria
Japanese Garden Public Art Project
September 12, 2026
City of Surrey
Commemorating Surrey’s Early Japanese Canadians
September 19, 2026
Abbotsford
Westridge Park Reflection Space
September 19, 2026
Chemainus
Remembering and Honouring Japanese Canadians in Chemainus
September 26, 2026
Nexwlelexm (Bowen Island)
Making Peace with the Past, Creating Hope for the Future
October 3 to 7, 2026
Victoria
Japanese Canadian Monument
October 15, 2026
University of British Columbia
A Degree of Justice: The Enduring Legacy of the 76 Japanese
Canadian UBC Students of 1942
October 16, 2026
Campbell River
Tracing Japanese Canadian Settlement on Northern Vancouver Island
October 22, 2026
City of Mission
Centennial Park Interpretive Tea House
October 24, 2026
Vancouver
Historic Vancouver Japanese Language School and Japanese Hall Interpretive Centre
October 25, 2026
Vancouver
Mountain View Cemetary
November 1, 2026
University of British Columbia
Revitalization and Cultural Enhancement of
Nitobe Memorial Garden
November 7, 2026
City of Richmond
Steveston Japanese Canadian Boatbuilding Heritage Project
December 12, 2026
City of New Westminster
Place-Based Research and Dissemination of the History of
Japanese Canadian Residents of New Westminster
Opens August 16, 2026
Mayne Island Japanese Canadian Legacies Project
Organization: Mayne Island Agricultural Society
Promoting awareness of Mayne Island’s Japanese Canadian history at three sites: restoration work at the Japanese Memorial Garden, information panels at the Miners Bay wharf, and an outdoor exhibit at the Mayne Island Museum.
Location: TBA
Contact Michael Kilpatrick: michael@michaeldesign.ca
Opens August 29, 2026
Ucluelet Japanese Canadian History Pavilion
Organization: Ucluelet & Area Historical Society
A permanent open-air Japanese Canadian History Pavilion sits in proximity to one of the six pre-war Japanese Canadian settlements in Ucluelet, overlooking the only harbour-side Japanese Canadian settlement where houses remain to this day. Opening Ceremony, 1pm
Location: Starting at Village Square, Ucluelet
Contact Jaqueline Chamberland: jchamberland@telus.net
Opens September 2026 (date TBA)
Japanese Garden Public Art Project
Organization: University of Victoria
Permanent public art by local Nikkei and Indigenous community members to create a legacy of on the site of Nikkei settlement and dispossession along the Upper Gorge Waterway
Location: Esquimalt Gorge Park Pavilion, Victoria
Contact Andrea Mariko Grant: andreamarikogrant@uvic.ca
or Eli Hirtle: elihirtle@gmail.com
Opens September 12, 2026
Commemorating Surrey’s Early Japanese Canadians
Organization: City of Surrey
This multi-faceted public heritage project creates three points of community connection – a commemorative plaza, a park feature, and a permanent photo display – to bring early Japanese Canadian experiences in Surrey to the forefront, amplifying both their significant community contributions and the injustice of their dispossession and internment in World War II.
Location: TBA
Contact Kristin Hardie: kristin.hardie@surrey.ca
Opening September 19, 2026
Westridge Park Reflection Space
Organization: Heritage Abbotsford Society
The project will commemorate Abbotsford’s Japanese Canadian community builders. The reflection space will be located in an area which was once the heart of a thriving Japanese Canadian community.
Location: Westridge Park, Abbotsford
Contact Terra Dickinson: tdickinson@abbotsford.ca
or Christina Reid: creid@heritageabbotsford.ca
Opens September 19, 2026
Remembering and Honouring
Japanese Canadians in Chemainus
Organization: Chemainus Festival of Murals Society
An art installation that remembers and honours the Japanese Canadians in Chemainus through a large mural featuring a montage of three historical images: Japanese Canadians’ involvement in the fishing industry, the forestry industry, and in the community.
Location: TBA
Contact Shannon Bellamy: FOMVicePresident@muraltown.com
Open for viewing June to November, 2026
None Came Back
Organization: Chemainus Valley Museum
The Chemainus Valley Museum presents a public exhibit exploring the history and experiences of Japanese Canadians in Chemainus and the surrounding area. The exhibit begins with the early arrival of Japanese immigrants and documents the nature of Japanese Canadian neighbourhoods, the wartime dispossession and displacement, the absence of returnees after the war, and concludes by inviting reflections about these events. Part of the exhibition includes interpretive works by the grade seven class from the Chemainus high school which studied this history in its humanities unit.
This opening is in advance of the JCLS funded Chemainus Festival of Murals Society’s “Remembering and Honouring Japanese Canadians in Chemainus” mural unveiling scheduled for September 19, 2026.
Location: Chemainus Museum – 9799 Waterwheel Crescent, Chemainus
Contact Chemainus Museum: cvhsMuseum@shaw.ca | 250.246.2445
Opens September 26, 2026
Nexwlelexm (Bowen Island): Making Peace with the Past, Creating Hope for the Future (working title)
Organization: Bowen Island Museum & Archives
Visitors are invited to explore the lives of Japanese Canadians on Nex̱wlélex̱m and Átl’ka7tsem prior to their forced removal during World War II in a modest timber structure looking out to Deep Bay.
Location: Sandy Beach Municipal Park, Mannion Bay, Bowen Island
Contact Cathy Bayly: bihistorians@telus.net
Opens October 3 to 7, 2026
Monument in Victoria – opening week events
Organization: Japanese Canadian Legacies Society
The Japanese Canadian Monument will be unveiled in Victoria beginning with a nation-wide livestream on October 3, followed by four days of in-person openings and guided tours. More information, including a reservation system, will be released in the coming months.
Location: 839 Academy Close, Victoria, BC
Contact opening@jclegacies.com
Opens October 15, 2026
A Degree of Justice: The Enduring Legacy of the 76 JapaneseCanadian UBC Students of 1942
Organization: University of British Columbia
This project will create a publicly accessible online exhibition and permanent marker at UBC Vancouver to commemorate the 76 Japanese Canadian students removed from UBC in 1942, recognize the 2012 honorary degree ceremony, and highlight the establishment of the Asian Canadian and Asian Migration Studies (ACAM) program in 2014. Through archival materials, interviews, films, and new documentation, the project will preserve and share these histories while promoting education, reflection, and ongoing awareness of racism, exclusion, and the experiences of Japanese Canadians and other Asian Canadian communities.
Location: UBC Campus TBD
Contact Szu Shen: szu.shen@ubc.ca
Opens October 16, 2026
Tracing Japanese Canadian Settlement on Northern Vancouver Island
Organization: Campbell River & District Museum & Archives Society
A research and interpretation project focused on documenting and sharing the history of Japanese Canadian settlement and industry in northern Vancouver Island. Through archival research, interviews, field studies, and community consultation, the project gathers and preserves stories, photographs, documents, and other historical materials related to Japanese Canadian communities in the region. Research findings are shared through museum exhibits, educational programming, documentaries, publications, and digital outreach to help make this history accessible to the public and future generations.
Visit crmuseum.ca for seasonal hours
Location: Museum at Campbell River
470 Island Highway at 5th Avenue, Campbell River, BC
Opens October 22, 2026
Centennial Park Interpretive Tea House
Organization: City of Mission
This project will create a Japanese tea house style community gathering space in Centennial Park that commemorates the history and contributions of Mission’s Japanese Canadian community. Drawing from the Mission Community Archives’ 1992 Rites of Passage exhibition, the tea house will incorporate interpretive elements that share the stories of local Japanese Canadian families and their contributions to the farming and forestry industries. The space will support cultural programming, performances, educational activities, and community events, while landscaping, accessibility improvements, and wayfinding signage will create a welcoming destination for learning, gathering, and reflection.
Location: Centennial Park, Mission BC
Contact Mark Haney: mark.haney@mission.ca
Opens October 24, 2026
Historic Vancouver Japanese Language School and Japanese Hall Interpretive Centre Project
Organization: Vancouver Japanese Language School
In 1906, the Vancouver Japanese Language School opened. By 1942, it had grown to be the largest Japanese language school in BC with over 1,000 students. It had also become a vibrant community centre in the heart of the bustling Powell Street neighbourhood. Against all odds, it was able to hold on to the building during the Internment and then reclaim its 1928 building, which reopened in 1952. Celebrating its 120th anniversary in 2026, VJLS will launch its Interpretive Centre, Prevailing through Internment 「インターンメント」を乗り越えて, to tell moving stories of cultural identity, state oppression, integrity, perseverance and hope.
Location: 487 Alexander Street, Vancouver, BC
Contact Yoshi Sugiyama: ysugiyama@vjls-jh.com
Opens October 25, 2026
Mountain View Cemetery
Organization: City of Vancouver
This project will preserve and commemorate Japanese Canadian heritage at Mountain View Cemetery through the restoration of historic Japanese Canadian grave markers, landscape enhancements, and new interpretive signage. The work includes documenting and researching existing monuments, restoring approximately 50 to 60 historic tombstones to their original upright position, planting Japanese heritage tree species to better define the area, and installing an interpretive plaque that shares the history of the Japanese Canadian section of the cemetery.
Location: Mountain View Cemetery
Contact Ryan MacLeod: ryan.macleod@vancouver.ca
Opens November 1, 2026
Revitalization and Cultural Enhancement of Nitobe Memorial Garden
Organization: University of British Columbia
This project will revitalize and enhance Nitobe Memorial Garden through major infrastructure improvements, new interpretive signage, expanded cultural programming, and public engagement initiatives. Work includes the restoration of key garden features such as the central bridge, azumaya (gazebo), and shoreline, while preserving the garden’s authenticity as one of the most significant Japanese gardens outside Japan. The project will also increase opportunities for visitors to learn about Japanese culture, history, and traditions through educational programming, cultural experiences, and enhanced interpretation.
Location: Nitobe Memorial Garden UBC
Contact Dee Ann Benard: DeeAnn.Benard@ubc.ca
Opens November 7, 2026
Steveston Japanese Canadian Boatbuilding Heritage Project
Organization: City of Richmond
This project will document, preserve, and share the history of the Japanese Canadian boatbuilding community in Steveston. Through archival research, oral history interviews, restoration of the Japanese built fishing vessel Crystal S, and the creation of new exhibits at Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site, the project will explore the contributions of Japanese Canadian boatbuilders, their businesses, and their role in the development of Steveston’s fishing industry.
Location: Britannia Shipyards
Contact Leah Best: LBest@richmond.ca
Opens December 12 , 2026
Place-Based Research and Dissemination of the History of Japanese Canadian Residents of New Westminster
Organization: City of New Westminster
This project will research, document, and share the history of New Westminster’s Japanese Canadian community through the creation of a public educational resource and a series of interpretive signs at key historic locations throughout the city. Drawing on new archival research, community stories, and oral histories, the project will highlight the contributions, experiences, and legacy of Japanese Canadians while creating lasting opportunities for public education and engagement.
Location: TBD
Contact Rob McCullough: rjmccullough@newwestcity.ca