REUNION FOR THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE JAPANESE CANADIAN INTERNMENT.

The planned project will be an integral part of a 3 day event to commemorate the City of Greenwood’s 125th birthday and the 80th anniversary of the Japanese-Canadian internment. This event is planned for July 15, 16 & 17, 2022. The opening event will start on Friday evening with a meet and greet for former and current citizens to renew old friendships and reminisce of days gone by. Saturday will be a day of various activities. The local Volunteer Fire Department will “kick-off” Saturday morning with a pancake breakfast, followed by a parade and opening ceremonies. Various food kiosks, vendors, family activities, and entertainment will take place in a local park. The Greenwood Museum & Visitor Centre will be open to welcome visitors and provide guided tours. The reunion for the 80th Anniversary of the Japanese-Canadian Internment will be held at the local Community Hall. To bring a sense of nostalgia for the visitors, the hall will be decorated with school photographs, pictures of Greenwood over the years, citizens of the past, Japanese lanterns, cherry blossom streamers, and kimonos.

In the parade there will be a float decorated with Japanese lanterns, a Japanese Torii gate, streamers and flowers and will carry the Greenwood and area Japanese-Canadian survivors.

Entertainment for the event will be provided by Yamabiko Taiko from Kelowna and the Vancouver Okinawa Taiko group. Representing the future Nikkei generation, 14-year old singer/songwriter/dancer Tamika Roberts will showcase her talents. She will be performing a song about the Japanese Canadian spirit “Morning Sun”, and “Breaking Through”, a tribute song about the famous Vancouver Asahi Hall of Fame baseball team. Tamika will also sing a variety of Japanese songs.

Traditional obento and manju will be made and sold by Japanese-Canadian survivors.

This reunion is of utmost importance for the aging Japanese-Canadian survivors, many of these people will not have seen a number of the returning visitors since leaving Greenwood after the war. It is quite likely this will be a one-time reunion for many of the survivors. It will be important for people to gather, renew old friendships and reminisce about life in Greenwood. It will also be a very emotional experience for many people and they will need to rely on fellow survivors to bring a sense of comfort, understanding and support.

The advertising and knowledge of this forthcoming reunion will perhaps give the survivors a sense of well-being, give people something to look forward to and promote health and wellness through cultural involvement.

• Listing ID: 1547
• Primary Applicant: The Greenwood Heritage Society
• Event or Completion Date: Saturday, July 16, 2022
• Approved Amount: $10,000
• Location: Greenwood, BC