February 26, 1942 - Japanese Canadians - a podcast by Stephen Hammond

Canada evacuates Japanese Canadians from the West Coast. The moment Japanese pilots bombed Pearl Harbour on December 7, 1941, the Canadian government stepped up actions against Canadians of Japanese descent. At first Japanese Canadians were ordered to register with the government, but on August 12, 1941 they were required to carry photo registration cards complete with thumbprint. The paranoia and prejudice continued to escalate with Privy Council Order 1486 giving the government the right to remove all people of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast. A mere two days later, on February 26, 1942, the Canadian minister of justice ordered the removal of all people of “the Japanese race” from the “protected area” of the Pacific coastline. They were to be transported to areas at least 160 kilometres inland. Officials imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew while confiscating all property and valuables from Japanese Canadians. Property was sold and never returned, ostensibly to provide funds for the internment camps in which they were forced to live. Altogether, the activation of the War Measures Act displaced 21,000 Japanese Canadians. Less well known is that even after the Allies had won, the government sent thousands of these Canadians “home” to Japan – a country in which many had never lived. Eventually, the outrage of churches and labour groups put an end to the process. However, it would take until 1988 before the Canadian government would apologize for its actions.

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