Japanese Garden Society of Salt Spring Island 
Imagine... being torn from your home, and forced to spend years in filthy, cold and crowded prison camps, while your land and possessions are taken from you and your family forever. This is what happened to Salt Spring islanders of Japanese descent in 1942.
Imagine a place of healing and atonement in the heart of Ganges, where these islanders are honoured with a beautiful Japanese garden....
The Japanese Garden Society invites all to help plan and build this garden of unity and understanding, where the history of Japanese Canadian pioneers is acknowledged, and the transforming power of Japanese design is celebrated.
We hope this garden will become a wonderful focal point and place of community spirit for Salt Spring Islanders, where we say “never again” to prejudice and discrimination against all peoples.
At the onset of World War II the Canadian government incarcerated all people of Japanese ancestry who lived along the coast. Their land and possessions were seized and sold at auction for a tiny fraction of their value, and the proceeds were used to pay the costs of the Japanese Canadians’ incarceration. These families lost everything. Today there is no sign of the many Japanese Canadians who lived on Salt Spring Island prior to World War II, and no acknowledgement of the heritage of these Japanese Canadian pioneers.
On March 27, 2006 the Parks and Recreation Commission agreed to allow a commemorative Japanese Garden to be built at Peace Park in downtown Ganges. The society has created a concept plan for the site and is now gathering support and raising funds.
The Japanese Garden Society published Ganbaru: The Murakami Family of Salt Spring Island by Rose Murakami.
In this book, Rose Murakami tells the inspiring story of her family. Pioneers on Salt Spring Island, they were incarcerated in 1942 and forced to spend years of their lives in filthy, cold and crowded prison camps. Their bank accounts were frozen. Their land and possessions were seized and sold without their consent for a tiny fraction of their value. The proceeds were used to pay the costs of their incarceration. The Murakami family lost everything. With incredible courage and determination, they finally returned to Salt Spring Island in 1954. When they could not regain the land that had been taken from them they started from scratch, building a good life in the face of enduring racism. The Murakamis are the only Japanese Canadian family to return to the Gulf Islands, to start over and to stay. (ISBN 0-9737814-0-8). The book retails for $5.95.
To contact the society please email cjk@saltspring.com.
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