Japanese Canadian Monument Park

In partnership with the Japanese Canadian Legacies Society (JCLS), the Province of British Columbia is overseeing the design and construction of a monument park with a Japanese garden on provincial land in Victoria, B.C. This monument park will acknowledge Japanese Canadian internment and honour the 22,000 Japanese Canadians who were wrongly displaced during the 1940s.

On this page

• History and acknowledgement of Japanese Canadian internment in B.C.  
• The Project: A Japanese Canadian Monument Park  
• Location in Victoria, B.C. 
• What’s next?
• Historical articles
• Subscribe to updates of this page

History and acknowledgement of Japanese Canadian internment in B.C. 

In the 1940s, over 22,000 Japanese Canadians living in British Columbia were detained under the War Measures Act and forcibly stripped of their homes, possessions and businesses. Most of these individuals were themselves Canadian citizens. 
 
Thousands were sent to internment camps far away from the coast. Others had to leave the province against their will.  
 
After the war ended, Japanese Canadians were forced to move east of the Rockies or go to Japan, a country many had never known. In 1949, four years after the end of the Second World War, Japanese Canadians were permitted to return to the West Coast. However, they were still subjected to racist policies and treatment for years, and many communities never recovered. 
 
A monument park is being established to honour the memories and legacies of the 22,000 Japanese Canadians affected during the internment era. This is part of a larger process of acknowledgement, recognition and redress announced by the Province in 2022. 

The Project: A Japanese Canadian Monument Park

The proposed monument park will serve as a historical landmark and cultural heritage site in the province’s capital, Victoria, B.C.   
 
The monument park will feature a wall of names of the 22,000 Japanese Canadians who were forcibly interned in the 1940s. Over the course of a year from January 2023-2024, a research team at the University of Victoria uncovered each of the names of these individuals and carefully checked and reorganized the names to indicate where these individuals lived before 1942.

The wall of names will form an important part of the monument park’s overall design, highlighting not just the people affected by the government’s internment policy, but also the cultural and historical significance of remembering their struggles.  
 
The monument park will also feature a Japanese garden and will be a place for many to collectively gather, remember and heal. The park and garden will be designed as a place for visitors and residents alike to learn and reflect.

This project is being jointly developed by the Ministries of Citizens' Services (CITZ) and Attorney General (AG), in consultation and collaboration with B.C.’s Japanese Canadian community, represented by JCLS.

In fall 2024, the Province selected a design team to lead the development of the Japanese Canadian Monument Park. Construction is expected to begin in late summer 2025 and be completed by fall 2026. This project represents an important step toward creating a space for remembrance, reflection, and community gathering in the heart of Victoria.

Image description: An aerial view of the proposed monument park, which features a wide paved walkway surrounding multiple green spaces. A wall of names frames one side of the park. Please note this image is a rendering that was created for planning purposes and does not necessarily reflect the final design of the monument park.

Location in Victoria, B.C.

The proposed monument park will be built on provincial land located between Academy Close, at the corner of Southgate Street and Blanshard Street. This location is within walking distance of the Legislature Building and Beacon Hill Park. 

Image description: The image is a rendering of the proposed monument park location between Academy Close.

What’s next? 

On March 27, 2025, the Province hosted a neighbourhood information session, which was well-attended. The community shared feedback on the proposed Japanese Canadian Monument Park. Construction of the Japanese Canadian Monument Park is expected to begin Summer 2025. 

The City of Victoria has also approved two public parking spaces near where the proposed Japanese Canadian Monument Park will be. 

After careful consideration, the design contract for the Japanese Canadian Monument Park was awarded to the architecture firm, KPMB, and PFS Studio, who will take great care with this important project.