Taylor Lake Japanese Canadian Internment Camp

The attack on Pearl Harbour was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service-upon the United States. (which was a neautral country at the time)

The attack was against the navy base at Pearl Harbour in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii — just before 8:00 AM Sunday morning on December 7 1941.

The attack led to the United States formal entry into world war two the next day.

History shows that after the attack more than twenty two thousand Japanese-Canadian people were uprooted from their livelihoods, businesses, homes, culture, language base, and imprisoned away from what was deemed a ‘protected area’ within one hundred miles of the B.C. Coast and islands.

One such internment camp was the ‘South Cariboo Site’. One of fifty sites added to BC’s historical register. Better known today as ‘Taylor Lake Internment Camp’.

One such family that was brought to this camp was the ‘Komori family’

Adults were held or forced to work during the Second World War internment years. Young Joe Komori’s parents were not the exception.

Despite being quite well off pre-war with owning a family fleet of five fishing boats, a large beautiful home in the Fraser Valley area; all these assets were taken away from the Komori family.

Joe Komori relates — “My parents worked so hard for thirty-forty years, and it was all confiscated. Right across B.C. , all Japanese families lost their property, everything —their businesses, everything.”

Joe explained that while some compensation was made in later years, it wasn’t until the eighties, and it only applied to those who themselves were interned, and only if they showed up at the 100 Mile House Community Hall Plaza to receive.

Where since August 2016 — hangs a commemorative plaque about the Taylor Lake Japanese Internment Camp, and the experience of the Kamori family.

Joe Kamori was hoping that there would be more stories told from others who had also been held at the Taylor Lake encampment.

Well Joe this should make you happy!

Suzie Kagawa’s- story began on February 10 1942. Her internment number (12941). Suzie was brought to Taylor Lake Internment Camp from Calgary Alberta.

Suzie Explains that after the bombing of Pearl Harbour, even though many like herself were born in Canada , the government didn’t trust any of them.

‘Japanese should be taken away from the rest of society, just in case they were dangerous to everyone else or even spying for the Japanese government’.

Suzie and her brother Ben felt racism for the first time. The next day after Pearl Harbour — Their school friends stopped talking to them, and looked at them differently.

The following week the Calgarian family were told to pack up their belongings, and were to be on the earliest train leaving to British Columbia.

As a young girl Suzie didn’t understand what was happening. All she knew was that it couldn’t be good. As she along with her family were forced from their home, and her family was very quiet on the train trip.

When they arrived at Taylor Lake encampment in Northern B.C. — Suzie didn’t recognize any of the other Japanese families. No one from her Calgary neighborhood.

But like the other children, Joe Komori and Suzie adapted. They played with their new friends. Had ball games in the fields during the summer days, swam in the lake, and skated on it in the winter months. And attended school where they learned a lot about the Canadian culture. Unlike the adults who endured slave labour all day-everyday for seven years.

In the mean time they survived off of food rations that contained stale spam, potatoes, and ketchup. They waited in long line-ups to be served their lovely food, and then would all eat in the mess hall.

Unlike Suzie and Joe’s families, at least seventy five percent of Canadian Japanese were first sent to a make shift holding and transit centre in ‘Hastings Park Exhibition Grounds’ in Vancouver.

Some stayed their for weeks others months, before they were sent to isolated internment camps in the B.C. Interior; Such as Taylor Lake encampment.

Approximately twelve thousand people were forced to live in the internment camps. The men folk were usually separated from their families, as they were forced to do roadwork and other physical labour jobs.

About seven hundred Japanese men were sent to prison-war-camps in Ontario. Another four thousand were shuffled off to sugar-beet-farms in Alberta and Manitoba.

An eleven-year-old-girl by the name of Lena Hayakawa was born in B.C. and raised on a strawberry farm where she and her family lived a modest but happy life.

Then Lena recalls being taken by train to Winnipeg, and then travelling to Dufrost, Manitoba, where her whole family worked harvesting beets. Yes! Not just the adults were made to work their.

Their family lived in a tiny log cabin, where you could see the outside through the spaces between the logs. That would’ve been unbelievably cold!

Lena gives this small quote-

“In the wintertime, there was only a small wood stove....the bathroom and everything was all outside, and there was no bathtub. In the winter my mother had to bring the snow into the cabin to melt it”.

It wasn’t until April 1 1949 that Japanese Canadians were again allowed to move freely across Canada.

From different interviews, I have come to appreciate that Japanese people are kind- hearted, hard workers, and never complain despite a bad situation.

After the Komori family received their freedom back, they remained in the area and became prominent businessmen, operating a large saw mill at Tin Cup Lake east of Seventy Mile House. Where they offered many jobs to ‘all’ people in and around the One Hundred Mile House district.

As for Lena Hayakawa and her family, they moved to Whitemouth, Manitoba and tried to begin again.

I am not sure what happened to Suzie Kagawa and her family.

After the war ended about four thousand Japanese Canadians were exiled to Japan. So, it’s quite possible that the Kagawa family was one of them.

To be shipped to Japan at that time would’ve been another life altering experience to say the least! A war — ravaged country that many of them , especially the younger generation had never seen before.

To make matters worse, Japanese Canadians lost almost all their property with little to no compensation as mentioned previously, The government had sold it all off during the war, and used the proceeds to finance the internment camps.

Why I find this subject so interesting to write about - is not only because I love delving into history, and enjoy doing research.

There is much more to it than that. There is a much more personal reason behind it. You see I’ve been living out at ‘Taylor Lake Ranch’ previously ‘Taylor Lake Internment Camp’, for the last year.

I see the beaten-worn-down to the ground-bunkhouse, that was likely was occupied by many Japanese families.

The pool that would’ve been built for the prison guards to bathe or to enjoy leisure time in.

One charming home left standing that served as a store and possibly a post office. But it’s walls and roof are sadly falling into itself.

The barn is still here and it’s beautiful - even though it’s age is showing and the unstable roof, after so many harsh winter winds.

Gazing out my living room windows I am blown away by the lakes beauty. Just about everyday we are watching gorgeous moose. One brought her twins out the thickets to show off I’m sure.

A handsome little buck and his girlfriend came out to say hi today.

We have two eagles and an owl that show themselves every now and again. Chipmunks, beavers, geese, ducks, and a shiny black bear.

I am blessed to live here , and honoured to relate the remarkable time in history of our Japanese Canadian friends.

By Brenda Lee Lord-Hinger

BLBLOGWRITINGNEWS1 ( KMZ2OL)

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