Japanese Property Claims Commission

Japanese Property Claims Commission

Known officially as the Royal Commission to Investigate Complaints of Canadian Citizens of Japanese Origin who Resided in British Columbia in 1941, That Their Real and Personal Property had been Disposed of by the Custodian of Enemy Property at Prices Less than the Fair Market Value.

Metadata

OrgNameJapanese Property Claims Commission
DescAlso known as the Bird Commission, this royal commission, headed by Justice Henry Irvine Bird, was created to examine claims of property loss made by Japanese Canadians. It ran from 1947 to 1950.

Terminology

Readers of these historical materials will encounter derogatory references to Japanese Canadians and euphemisms used to obscure the intent and impacts of the internment and dispossession. While these are important realities of the history, the Landscapes of Injustice Research Collective urges users to carefully consider their own terminological choices in writing and speaking about this topic today as we confront past injustice. See our statement on terminology, and related sources here.