Japanese Internment Camps
Section One
During World War II Japanese Canadians were rounded up and forced into Internment Camps.
These were not the same as the Nazi work camps or death camps but they were still not a nice
place to have to live. Three quarters of the people forced into the camps were born in Canada and
or were naturalized Canadian citizens with Japanese ancestry. They were a visible minority!
There were ten internment Camps in Canada in total; they consisted of: three road camps, two
prisoner of war camps (POW), and five self supporting camps scattered throughout Canada
during the Second World War. Prior to World War II, 22,096 Japanese Canadians lived in British
Colombia;
This notice was distributed throughout British Columbia. If any Japanese were found in the
prohibited areas listed, they would be incarcerated.
Questions
1. Who was placed in internment camps?
2. What were the different types of camps used in Canada?
Section 2
Many historians believe internments camps came about because of racist attitudes Canadians
held towards Japanese Canadian's-many of whom lived in BC. Once the bombing on Pearl
Harbour happened racism came to a head. British Columbians started to blame all their
troubles and problems on the Japanese. Japanese people were blamed for everything from a
bad crop to a flat tire. The scared people of BC cried out, wanting the BC Government to
deal with the problem as they saw it - Japanese Canadians. The people of British Columbia
wanted to feel safe in their homes again and they wanted Prime Minister Mackenzie King to
rid Canada of people of Japanese orign. They were causing a threat to Canada (or so it was
believed by the public.) Mackenzie King wanted the votes from B.C. so he was more than
happy to do what they asked. Mackenzie's first order of business was to incarcerate all
Japanese males between the ages 14 and 45. They were ordered to move more than 160 km
inland. This was to "safe guard" the pacific coast from Japanese spies. The Canadian
government took away all of the Japanese fishing fleets, in order to protect Canada.
Over a nine month period 22,000 people were taken from their homes and scattered
throughout B.C. By October 1942, the Canadian government had set up 8 internment camps
in interior B.C. They were in Kaslo, New Denver, Tashme, Roseberry, Slocan City, Lemon
Creek, Sandon, and Greenwood. Tashme was named after the 3 leading BC's security
commisioners; TAlor, SHirras, and MEad.
The war caused a large labour shortage for farmers, especially sugar beet farmers. The
Security Commission Council organized sugar beet projects to combat the labour shortage.
This gave the Japanese males a choice. The choice was to work in road camps as slaves or
go to the beet camps and be with their families. Working in the beet camps was the choice
taken by the majority of Japanese married men.
Questions
3. What do historians think about the cause of the internment?
4. What was the attitude of non- Japanese people in British Columbia?
5. Would you call the Japanese Canadians a scapegoat? Explain
6. What was the Prime Minister’s response to the people of B.C.
7. Why did the Prime Minister react this way? Explain
Section 3
Japanese Canadians were being punished for a crime they didn't commit. Canada's only
defence for it's actions was that Japanese people were not white and they "could" be
Japanese spies. Innocent Japanese Canadians were stripped of their rights, issued special
clothing, humiliated, thrown behind barb wire fences, and were forced to do manual labour.
Living in interment camps was a hard life to live. Many families were forced to live in
cramped quarters with ten other families sharing one stove. Some camps such as Slocan city;
didn't have the resources to house the huge amounts of people coming into the camps. Many
Japanese were placed in tents until there were houses available. One would think that
moving from a tent to a house would be a step up, but this was not true. Most houses
consisted of panel board with no insulation, rickety walls and maybe a stove. During the
harsh cold winters many Japanese put lanterns under their beds to try and keep warm.
Questions
8. What is Canada’s defence for doing this?
9. Describe what happened to innocent Japanese Canadians
10. What were the living conditions like in the camps?
Section 4
A story from Hideo Kukubo tells what life was like during the war:
"I was in that camp for four years. When it got cold the temperature went down to as much
as 60 below. The buildings stood on flat land beside a lake. We lived in huts with no
insulation. Even if we had the stove burning the inside of the windows would all be frosted
up and white, really white. I had to lie in bed with everything on that I had... at one time
there were 720 people there, all men, and a lot of them were old men."
In the years that followed the Japanese Internees were able to make the camps feel more like
home. They petitioned the Royal Commission for better housing and more stoves. After the
Japanese petitioned and protested the Government allowed a few changes. Families were
able to grow vegetable gardens, dig basements and create extra rooms. Japanese internees
continued on with life, putting on festivals and musical events. The BC Government refused
to fund education for young Japanese Canadians. Then the Federal Government stepped in
and helped out the Japanese and arranged classes from grades 1-10. With the help of the
Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Church, and the United Church high school became a
reality so grades 11-12 came into effect as well. The first place to get a school up and
running was in Lemon Creek.
Questions
11. According to Hideo Kukubo, what were some of the worst conditions in the camps?
12. Describe 3 ways the camps improve as the war went on
Section 5
An even bigger insult occurred to the Canadian born Japanese. Canada sold all of their
worldly possessions. In 1943 the Canadian "Custodian of Aliens" liquidated these worldly
possessions without the owner's permission. The Custodian of Aliens held auctions for these
items. These items would range from farms and to houses, to people's clothing. They were
sold quickly and prices were insultingly cheap. The money that was raised from these
auctions went to the realtors and the auctioneers; then it went to paying for storage and the
handling charges. The Japanese had to pay for their stay at these horrid camps. While under
the Geneva Convention prisoners of war (POW) didn't have to pay for their camps.
Questions
13. Describe what is considered “an even bigger insult…”
Section 6
In 1944, with an election coming up, King re-instated the fear of Japanese in BC. Even after
saying in August 1944,
"It is a fact no person of Japanese race born in Canada has been charged with any act of
sabotage or disloyalty during the years at war".
King still passed the law stating that the Japanese could be deported to Japan if they did not
leave BC. This was called repatriation. People could be deported to Japan even if they were
not of Japanese origin. Those Japanese who moved east to get away from deportation were
prohibited to buy land; they had to lease land, and to grow crops they needed special
licenses. These licenses were upheld until April 1946. Some Japanese Canadians signed
papers stating they would leave Canada after the war was over. Of the 22,000 Japanese
Canadians placed in the internment camps 4,000 were stripped of their Canadian citizenship
and then deported to Japan. Then after the war, 6,000 people were sent over to Japan.
Questions
14. What was repatriation?
15. What choices did Japanese Canadians have?
Section 7
In 1945 the deportation orders were contested in the BC Supreme Court. Justice Manson
dismissed the case on a technicality, ruling that because the Security Commission had since
dissolved, no suit could be brought against it. In 1946, the government upheld the Security
Commission's decision to deport Japanese Canadians to Japan.
In 1988, 46 years after the first Japanese Internment Camps, Canadian Japanese were
compensated for all that they had endured during the war. Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
signed a compensation package giving $21,000 for each internee's survivor. In total 12
million dollars were paid out.
Questions
16. When and how were Canadian Japanese compensated for their treatment during the war?
17. Explain how this is or is not fair compensation.
Ten internment camps and 68 years later, Canada is still paying for what it did to fellow
Japanese Canadians. Despite their race, they were still Canadian citizens, but Canada chose
not to recognize them as equals just because of the war. Many believed that the internment
camps were manifested out of British Columbian's hatred for the Japanese. Let’s hope that
generations to come can learn from our mistakes, our ignorance, and realize that just because
something comes in a different colour or a different shape doesn't mean it is bad, or that it is
wrong.
Questions
18. Many consider the treatment of Japanese Canadians during the war a national
embarrassment. Explain why this is so.
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