The Japanese Connection in Steveston, British Columbia: The Visual History on the Map

The first Japanese immigrant, Manzo Nagano, arrived in Canada in 1877. Later some other Japanese immigrants arrived in the Vancouver area. In 1888, Mr. Gihei Kuno, from Mio, Mihama, Wakayama, Japan arrived in Victoria and noticed the large school of salmon going down the Fraser River. He was so impressed by the sight that he wrote a letter to his village in Japan to invite his fellow fishermen. Since then, hundreds of immigrants arrived and settled in along side the river, particularly at the mouth of the Fraser River. Steveston was chosen as a base port.

From 1870 on, Steveston grew to be the largest fishing town in British Columbia. Many Japanese immigrants contributed to the fishing industries on the West Coast as fishermen and shore workers.

At the peak in the 1930’s, there were approx. 3,500 Japanese descendants living in the Steveston area till the Second World War broke out.

During the 1920’s and 1930’s all Asians experienced severe racial discrimination from the Caucasian community. Japanese Canadian fishermen were especially hard hit by the denial of their fishing rights on the west coast in 1924. During those years, their living conditions were generally very poor in the fishing villages. Their young children could not even attend the public school in Steveston. Moreover, in 1942 after the Pearl Harbor incident their lives completely changed; the Canadian Government confiscated their livelihoods, land, homes, and boats and fishing gear (May 4, 1942, by the B.C. Security Commission, P.C. 1665). Then they were forced to move inland for security reasons (Jan. 16, 1942, P.C. 365 designated an area 100 miles inland from the west coast as a “protected area” and Feb. 24, 1942, P.C. 1486 empowered the Minister of Justice to control the movement of all persons of Japanese origin in the protected area).

In 1949, as soon as the War Measures Act was lifted, people started to return to the coast. Many returned to Steveston to engage in the fishing industry again.

In 1988, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney announced the Canadian Government’s formal apology for the wrongful incarceration, seizure of property and the disfranchisement of thousands of Canadian of Japanese ancestry. A redress settlement was also announced which included individual compensation for all survivors.

In this project, you are able to observe the movement of the settlers of the Japanese descendants on the maps to show where they made their homes in the last decade.