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   PEOPLE & EVENTS > WORLD AT WAR > Internment of Japanese Canadians

What?
• Japanese Canadians were interned after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour (1942)
• Royal Canadian Mounted police arrested and interned Japanese under War Measures
• Japanese living in Canada's west coast were primarily interned
• they were allowed to take 68 kg of belongings per adult, and were housed in small crude huts shared by 2 families, very poor living conditions; no electricity or running water until 1943
• their property and possession were confiscated and sold


Historical Significance
• Canada was at war with Japan, suspicions that Canada would be attacked by Japan, also rumours of Japanese spies on coast of B.C.
• in 1942, government moved all Japanese Canadians away from coast to inland Canada
• few months after attack on Pearl Harbour, all Japanese nationals & Canadian citizens of Japanese descent sent to internment camps in interior of B.C.
• some men worked on road construction, as farm labourers, those who resisted were sent to prisoner-of-war camps

Picture
Japanese Canadians evacuating From Pacific Coast
Image Courtesy of Ghost Town Internment
Japanese Internees
Image Courtesy of CANPIX 		Related Links

• Ghost Town Internment
• Japanese Internment Camps
• Japanese Internment

   PEOPLE & EVENTS > TURN OF THE CENTURY > Internment of Japanese Canadians > REVIEW QUESTIONS

  1. When did the government begin interning Japanese Canadians?
    1. 1988
    2. after the attack on Pearl Harbour
    3. 1942
    4. both 2 and 3



  2. Where were Japanese Canadians interned?
    1. mansions
    2. coast of British Columbia
    3. crude huts shared by 2 families
    4. Japan



  3. Why were they interned?
    1. suspicions that Canada would be attacked by Japan
    2. Canada was at war with Japan
    3. rumours of Japanese spies on coast of B.C.
    4. all of the above



  4. Which Canadians were interned?

    1. Japanese nationals
    2. citizens of Japanese descent
    3. both 1 and 2
    4. none of the above




  • Where were Japanese Canadians interned?
    1. mansions
    2. coast of British Columbia
    3. crude huts shared by 2 families
    4. Japan



  • What kind of jobs did interned Japanese men have?
    1. navy officials, sailors
    2. construction, farm labourers
    3. prison guards
    4. Canadian Mounted Police



    •    PAGE DEVELOPED BY: Miss Chong's Class: Kelly Lo, 2002