Tashme, Gabriola Island, Salt Spring Island
The BC Heritage Sites program makes the “invisible visible.” By funding interpretive projects, signage, and restorations at historic sites across British Columbia, including sites of internment, the JCLS ensures that ancestral places of the pre-war and wartime community are no longer under-recognized. We acknowledge the debt owed to our elders for the sacrifices they endured. For survivors and descendants, these sites provide a tangible connection to a heritage that was nearly lost to the “second uprooting” – the postwar exile that pushed the community east of the Rockies or to Japan.
The BC Heritage Sites program ensures that the stories of the issei, nisei, and sansei – who established roots in this province despite systemic racism – are kept alive.
Three site openings will take place in May 2026:
1. Tashme / Sunshine Valley
May 3 (1pm – 5 pm): Opening of the Tashme Research & Archive Centre and restored Tashme Kindergarten Schoolhouse
2. Gabriola Island
May 23 (Time TBC): Community celebration for “Omoide – Memories, Recollections, Reminiscences.”
3. Salt Spring Island
May 31 (1:15pm – 3:30 pm): Unveiling of new interpretive panels at Heiwa Garden as part of the Japanese Canadian Memorial Story Project.
Click here for details on ceremonies, celebrations, tours, and more.