In 2019, the Steveston Nikkei Memorial park was opened next to the Steveston Tram, at the corner of Moncton Street and No. 1 Road.
The memorial’s location is intentional and important. Over 2,000 Japanese Canadians were forcibly removed from Steveston during the Second World War. The Nikkei (a term meaning “of Japanese descent”) were forced to leave their homes in Richmond, and be taken from Steveston Station on the interurban trams to a holding station in Vancouver. They were then interned in camps in the Interior of BC, as well as on farms across the prairies. The Nikkei were not allowed to return to the west coast until four years after the end of the war.
The memorial marks the 75th anniversary of the forced removal of Steveston’s Japanese Canadian community and the 70th anniversary of their return as members of a resilient community that helped build Steveston.
For more information about the forced uprooting of the Nikkei, visit the National Nikkei Museum and Cultural Centre in Burnaby, or find detailed reference material on the Landscapes of Injustice website.
