News Updates

The Japanese Canadian Survivors Health and Wellness team is hard at work processing applications.  While there are grant cheques being mailed on a regular basis, we know many Survivors are waiting and frustrated at the length of time to receive a cheque.  Due to the volume of applications received to date the wait time has increased.  We thank you for your ongoing patience. There is a detailed process to confirm eligibility and due diligence to ensure that the money is being awarded to appropriately qualified Survivors.

Since February 1, 2024, we have received approximately 5000 applications from Japanese Canadian Survivors living around the world.  To date, we have awarded over 3500 grants to over 2000 Survivors.

We follow a strategy to process applications by prioritizing age and health and the wellness needs of living Survivors.  High priority status is due to physical and / or mental health, or financial need.  We started with those aged 100+ years and dropped each group by 5 years (100+ then 95+, 90+ and 85+). We are now serving those born pre-1942 (82+ years) and continue to include priority applications.

Please note:

• You can make an online application until March 31, 2025
• Confirmation of your application is sent by email. A reference number (SR-XXXXX) is issued. Please keep this number.
• If you have a SR number, please do not re-apply. Duplicate applications require more time to process

Eligibility

Eligible applicants for both Grants 1 and 2 must meet ALL of the following requirements:

• be of Japanese descent
• be born before April 1, 1949
• have lived in BC before April 1, 1949 OR had parents or grandparents who lived in BC before April 1, 1949
• have been directly impacted by the actions of the BC government before April 1, 1949

In addition, for Grant 2:

• On or after February 1^st, 2024, the Survivor must be alive at the time of submitting the application (online or through an Outreach Worker)

To validate your application please locate the following documents:

• Personal identification (e.g. birth certificate, passport, a picture ID)
• Birthdate before April 1, 1949
• Proof of current mailing address (e.g. Driver’s License, recent credit card statement, utility bill)

DO NOT send the Society any personal documents by email or mail.  This is for your protection.

Validation

Once the file is assigned to an Outreach Worker, they will contact you by phone or email and arrange to either meet with you in person or virtually (by Zoom).

1. The first step is confirmation of date of birth prior to April 1, 1949.
2. The next step is validation of Roots in British Columbia (B.C.), which confirms the Survivor’s ties to BC prior to April 1, 1949.

Research is conducted by staff.  However, the onus is on the Survivor/Representative to provide sufficient information to confirm that the Survivor has Roots in BC.

Many have already met with an Outreach Worker for step 1.  There is a delay to process step 2, research confirmation of Roots in BC from official documents or recognized databases/sources. Please understand that it is more difficult to find the Roots in B.C. for those born post uprooting (after 1942) and born outside of B.C.  Linkage is required of the Survivor to the parent or grandparent with the permanent residence in B.C prior to April 1, 1949.

As all ship arrivals from Japan to Canada at that time went through the Port of Vancouver, this is not sufficient to qualify as having Roots in B.C. especially if the family’s destination was outside of B.C.

Survivors may not be aware of the onerous validation process.  This is a requirement to ensure that fraud is not committed in the issuance of these grants.  It is a criminal offence to make a false application.

Failure to meet the eligibility requirements will result in a denied application.  A denial letter will be sent to the Survivor/Representative.  An adjudication process is available if a Survivor requests to have the decision reviewed by the objective Adjudication Committee.

As living Survivor applications are a priority, please note that the following circumstances will encounter a delay to be processed:

• The applicant died after applying
• The applicant is deceased, and the estate is applying for Grant 1 only
• Lost or stolen cheques, incorrect address and deposit errors to an incorrect bank account
• The applicant is living outside of North America

For enquiries, please contact our JCSHWF General Phone/Toll-free phone or email:

JCSHWF General phone 250.797.6300
JCSHWF North American toll-free phone 1.833.368.6462

JCSHWF Email: help@jcwellness.org

The list of Outreach Workers is available on our website: https://jcwellness.org/outreachworkers

We thank all Survivors for their patience and understanding as we proceed through the validation process for 5000 applications.

The Japanese Canadian Survivor Health & Wellness Fund is open for applications until March 31, 2025.

日系カナダ人生存者健康福祉基金チームは、懸命に申請手続きを行っています。 助成金の小切手は定期的に郵送されていますが、現在、お申込みが多数寄せられているため、大変長らくお待たせしております。 ご理解とご協力のほどよろしくお願いいたします。適切な資格のある生存者の方々に支給されるよう、受給資格の確認と適正評価手続きのための細かなプロセスがあります。

2024年2月1日以降、世界各地に住む日系カナダ人生存者の方々から約5000件のお申込みが寄せられました。 現在までに、2,000人以上の生存者の方々に3,500件以上の助成金を授与しています。

私たちは、生存者の方々の年齢、健康状態、ウェルネス・ニーズを優先して申請を処理しています。 優先順位が高いのは、身体的・精神的な健康状態、または経済的な必要性によるものです。 私たちは100歳以上の生存者の方々のお申込みから処理を始め、各グループ（100歳以上、95歳以上、90歳以上、85歳以上）を5歳ずつ下げてきました。現在は1942年以前に生まれた方（82歳以上）を対象としており、引き続き優先順位を考慮しつつ手続きを行っています。

注意事項：

• お申込みは２０２５年３月３１日までオンラインで可能です。
• お申込みの確認はメールにて送信されます。確認番号（SR-xxxxx）が発行されます。この番号は大切に保管してください。
• 確認番号をお持ちの方は再申請はご遠慮ください。重複申請の場合、お申込みを処理するのにさらに時間がかかります。

受給資格

• 助成金１及び２ともに、下記の条件にすべて当てはまる方が対象となります。
• 日系人であること
• 生年月日が１９４９年４月１日以前であること
• １９４９年４月１日以前にBC州に居住していた、または１９４９年４月１日以前に親または祖父母がBC州に居住していたこと。
• １９４９年４月１日以前にBC州政府の措置による直接的な影響を受けたこと

また、助成金２にお申込みの方は下記の条件も満たす必要があります。

• ２０２４年以降、生存者が助成金の申し込み完了時に生存していること（お申込みはオンラインまたはアウトリーチワーカーを通して提出していただけます。）

本人確認及び受給資格確認のため、以下の書類をご用意ください。

• 身分証明書（出生証明書、パスポート、写真付き身分証明書など）
• 生年月日が１９４９年４月１日以前であることを証明する書類
• 現住所を証明する書類（運転免許証、最新のクレジットカード明細書、公共料金の請求書など）

個人を特定できる書類は情報保護のため、当団体へ郵便・メール等での送付はご遠慮ください。

本人確認・助成金受給資格確認

ファイルがアウトリーチワーカーに割り当てられると、アウトリーチワーカーは電話またはメールにて申請者（代理申請の場合は代理人）に連絡し、生存者の方の本人確認及び助成金受給資格確認を対面で行うか、ビデオ通話（ズームなど）を通して行うか決めます。

• 最初のステップは生年月日が１９４９年４月１日以前であることの確認です。
• 次のステップは、ブリティッシュコロンビア州（BC州）におけるルーツの確認です。これにより、生存者が１９４９年４月１日以前にBC州とのつながりがあることを確認します。

リサーチはスタッフによって行われます。但し、生存者がBC州とのつながりを持つことを確認するのに十分な情報を提供する責任は生存者や代理人にあります。

ステップ1については、すでに多くの生存者の方が終えています。 ステップ2である、BC州にルーツがあることを公文書や認知されたデータベース・情報源から確認する手続きには時間がかかります。特に強制移動後（１９４２年以降）に生まれた方やBC州以外で生まれた方のBC州へのつながりを見つけることがより困難であることをご理解ください。1949年4月1日以前にBC州に永住していた親または祖父母と生存者とのつながりが必要です。

当時、日本からカナダに到着するすべての船はバンクーバー港を経由していましたが、特に目的地がBC州以外であった場合は、これはBC州にルーツがあることを証明するには十分ではありません。

生存者の方々はこのような厳しいプロセスをご存じないかもしれません。これは、助成金の支給に不正がないようにするための要請です。虚偽の申請をすることは犯罪行為です。

受給資格を満たさない場合、お申込みは却下されます。却下の通知書が生存者または代理人に送られます。生存者の方が客観的な裁定委員会による審査を求める場合は裁定プロセスを利用していただくことも可能です。

生存している方のお申込みが優先されるため、以下の場合は処理が遅れまずことをご理解ください。

• 申請者が申請後に亡くなった場合
• 申請者はすでに亡くなっており、相続人助成金１のみ申請している場合
• 小切手の紛失や盗難、不正な住所や不正な銀行口座への入金がされた場合
• 申請者が北米以外に居住している場合

ご質問等ございましたら以下の連絡先にお問い合わせください。

電話番号：２５０－７９７－６３００

トールフリー番号（北米）：１－８３３－３６８－６４６２

メールアドレス：help@jcwellness.org

アウトリーチワーカーのリストはウェブサイトからご確認いただけます。

https://jcwellness.org/outreachworkers

５０００件のお申込みを処理するにあたり、皆様のご理解とご協力に感謝いたします。

日系カナダ人生存者健康福祉基金へのお申込みは２０２５年３月３１日まで受け付けております。

Dear Japanese Canadian community,

We are pleased to report that since opening on February 1, 2024, over 4,680 Survivor applications have been registered through the Japanese Canadian Survivors Health & Wellness Fund. Cheques are being issued across the country. In recognition of questions and concerns raised by community members, we are providing some information below.

Many survivors have applied weeks ago and are still waiting for cheques. When can they expect payment?

Your application will flow through our system to be processed for payment. Due the high volume of applications we are not able to provide a time frame for you to receive your payment. We thank all applicants for their continued patience as our team works hard to serve our seniors with their applications.

How are applications processed?
All applications must go through a mandatory validation process before they can be approved and cheques issued. Once an application is submitted online, you will be assigned a SR-xxxxxx reference number, please keep this number handy.

The first step is confirmation of date of birth prior to April 1, 1949. The next step is validation of Roots in British Columbia, which confirms the Survivor’s ties to BC prior to April 1, 1949.

How is validation of roots in British Columbia done?
Using the information on your application, the Outreach Team will consult various approved database sources such as Uprooted Japanese Canadians or Landscapes of Injustice to validate your roots in British Columbia prior to April 1, 1949. For those Survivors whose parents were uprooted before their birth (generally between 1942 – 1949), the research may take more time as your name may not be on any of the official database sources.

Is there a way to speed up my application?
The best and quickest method to validate roots in BC is your original British Columbia Longform Birth Certificate (original document with official seal only). This document includes the names of your parents.

If you have your original BC Longform Birth Certificate, please contact your Outreach Worker directly to confirm that it has been included as part of your application as this will speed up the processing of your application.

For these and other enquiries, you may also contact our JCSHWF General Phone/Toll-free phone or email:

JCSHWF General phone 250.797.6300
JCSHWF North American toll-free phone 1.833.368.6462

JCSHWF Email: help@jcwellness.org

The list of Outreach Workers is available on our website: https://jcwellness.org/outreachworkers

We thank all Survivors for their patience and understanding as we proceed through the validation process for all 4600+ applications.

The Japanese Canadian Survivor Health & Wellness Fund is open for applications until March 31, 2025.

The Japanese Canadian Survivors Health and Wellness Fund Society and the Japanese Canadian Legacies Society thank our elders for their patience in the opening of the Japanese Canadian Survivors Health and Wellness Fund and the processing of applications. It is deeply appreciated.

The JCSHWFS has begun mailing health support grant cheques to individual Survivors across Canada to assist with their health care needs.

Since opening for applications on February 1, 2024, The JCSHWFS has received over 4,300 applications. Your application will flow through our system to be processed for payment. Due the high volume of applications we are not able to provide a time frame for you to receive your payment. Two weeks after the mailing of the cheque, an Outreach Worker will contact the Survivor to ensure that the cheque was received and cashed.

APPLICATION SUPPORT

For those Survivors who have not yet applied for a health support grant, Outreach Workers are hosting events across Canada to provide information and onsite application assistance, including validating eligibility by confirming that the Survivor has roots in British Columbia prior to April 1, 1949.

In-person Outreach Worker events are being offered in the following zones: British Columbia; Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Northern Ontario; Ontario + Quebec + Eastern Canada. Please visit jcwellness.org/events for an up-to-date list of sessions in your area.

Online Zoom sessions are also available for Survivors and their families who wish to have documents validated virtually. Please visit jcwellness.org/outreachworkers to find the contact information for Outreach Workers and upcoming events in your area

HEALTH SUPPORT GRANT INFORMATION
Survivors  and their families are encourage to visit jcwellness.org for complete information on the the Japanese Canadian Survivors Health & Wellness Fund, including eligibility, how to apply, and a list of frequently asked questions.

CONTACT US

Japanese Canadian Survivors Health & Wellness Fund (JCSHWF) is run by the Japanese Canadian Survivors Health & Wellness Fund Society (JCSHWF). For any questions about the JCSHWF, please send a brief message to help@jcwellness.org. A staff member will respond to you as soon as possible. Thank you.

日本語でのサポートをご希望の方は下のリンクよりお知らせください。

General phone 250.797.6300

North American toll-free phone 1.833.368.6462

Please leave a voicemail with your name and phone number as we are receiving a high volume of calls. Our Outreach Workers are working to answer calls as soon as possible.

To find the contact information for an Outreach Worker in your region, please visit the Outreach Workers page and click on your region.

Dear Japanese Canadian Community,

Today marks two months since the Fund was open for applications and we are pleased to report that over 4300 Survivor applications have been received to date.

The fund is open until March 31, 2025. Online applications are on our website www.jcwellness.org.
We want to inform you on the process and wait time for a cheque.

See Process Flowchart:

Process:

1. How to Apply:

• Online, see https://jcwellness.org/apply/
• At a Regional Event, see www.jcwellness.org/events/
• With the assistance of an Outreach Worker, see www.jcwellness.org/outreachworkers/

Once you apply, you will receive a reference number (Survivor Request number, SR#-XXXXXX) by email. Please keep this number.

The next step is to have your eligibility validated by an Outreach Worker.

2. Options for Validation by an Outreach Worker:

• Regional Event, see www.jcwellness.org/events/
• Virtual Interview - (via Zoom or Microsoft Teams)
• Declaration Form signed by a guarantor (non-family member) – coming soon
• Site/Home Visit - (available for special circumstances)

You can wait for an Outreach Worker in your area to contact you. However, due to the volume of applications, it may take several weeks from when you submitted your application. It is faster to find a regional event near you on our website - www.jcwellness.org/events/. If you have mobility issues, please contact the OW in your region to make an appointment.

3. Documents to Have Ready for validation:

To validate your application, please bring at least two pieces of ID that can confirm identity, date of birth, and current mailing address of the applicant. At least one should be photo ID.

Documents to confirm identity, at least one photo ID:

• Birth certificate
• Passport
• Provincial identification card or health card
• Drivers licence
• Utility bill or statement with mailing address

For Grant 2, in order to verify proof of life the Survivor should be present, or if they are living in a seniors residence/long term care facility, please have a signed letter from the health care facility on their letterhead stating that the Survivor is a current resident.

If you are the Power-of-Attorney (POA) for an applicant please bring the POA documentation, and ID that confirms the POA’s identity and address in addition to the Survivor’s ID.

Once your documents are validated by an Outreach Worker, no further action is required by the Survivor. Your application will flow through our system to be processed for payment. Due the high volume of applications we are not able to provide a time frame for you to receive your payment. We appreciate your patience

4. Validation of Roots in British Columbia

Staff will confirm that the Survivor has roots in British Columbia prior to April 1, 1949.

5. Cheque Issued

Your application will flow through our system to be processed for payment. Due the high volume of applications we are not able to provide a time frame for you to receive your payment. We thank all applicants for their continued patience as our team works hard to serve our seniors with their applications.

6. Cheque Receipt and Deposit Follow-up by Outreach Worker

Two weeks following the mailing of the cheque, an Outreach Worker will contact the Survivor to ensure that the cheque was received and cashed.

We thank you for your patience. If you require any assistance, please contact our office at help@jcwellness.org or call our North America toll free number 1-833-368-6462.

Dear Japanese Canadian Community,

On February 1, 2024, the online application portal for the Japanese Canadian (JC) Survivors Health and Wellness Fund (JCSHWF) will open.  The Team has diligently worked to create an application process that is simple, efficient, and ensures that your information is secure and protected.

The launch of the program is scheduled for February 1st, 2024, at 1000 AM PST. The event will be livestreamed to allow the JC Community to attend remotely. The program will provide details on the grants available and the application process. Instructions to watch the livestream will follow.

Outreach Workers are available across Canada to support JC Survivors with their applications and will be hosting regional events to provide more information and assist with applications in-person.

The online application will be accessible on our website, www.jcwellness.org on February 1st until March 31, 2025. Applications can be filled out by a Survivor, a trusted representative or through an Outreach Worker.

Two grants are available for Japanese Canadian Survivors:

• Grant 1 ($650): For Survivors who did not receive the 2021 Grant that was offered between September 1 to October 31, 2021.
• Grant 2 ($4500): A new grant to support living Survivors with their individual Health & Wellness needs.

Eligible Survivors must:

• be of Japanese descent
• be born before April 1, 1949
• have lived in British Columbia before April 1, 1949, OR had parents or grandparents who lived in British Columbia before April 1, 1949
• have been directly impacted by the actions of the BC government before April 1, 1949

All grant applications will go through a validation process. Outreach Workers will be contacting each applicant to securely validate their eligibility and identity. Your application will flow through our system to be processed for payment.  Due the high volume of applications we are not able to provide a time frame for you to receive your payment. We appreciate your patience

Please check our website https://jcwellness.org for further information regarding the grants, eligibility criteria, documents to prepare and frequently asked questions. The website will be updated prior to the launch on February 1st with more information.

We, the Board of Directors and staff, appreciate your patience, and eagerly anticipate the February 1st launch with you.

Sincerely,

Joanne Miyazaki (Executive Director) and the JCSHWFS Team

Email: joanne.miyazaki@jcwellness.org

Direct phone: 437-855-9750

Dear Japanese Canadian Community,

Happy New Year to you and your family! Akemashite omedeto gozaimasu!

明けましておめでとうございます。

As we embark on the new year, it is an opportune time to reflect on the current status of The Japanese Canadian Survivors Health and Wellness Fund Society and share insights into our operating plan moving forward. We must extend our sincere apologies for the delayed opening of the Japanese Canadian Survivors Health and Wellness Fund, and we appreciate your patience and understanding during this period.

We understand that many members of the Japanese Canadian (JC) Community have been inquiring about the fund’s status or concerned that they may have missed the opportunity to apply. We want to assure everyone that the grant application has not yet opened, but our commitment to launching in early 2024 remains steadfast.

Unfortunately, several setbacks have affected our timeline, but we want to reassure you that the Board and Staff are equally frustrated with the current status. Significant changes have been implemented to expedite the process, with the sole objective of opening the fund as quickly as possible.

Behind the scenes, we are actively working to improve the online application system and develop a comprehensive communication and operating plan to reach more Survivors. We have recently onboarded Outreach Workers to support Survivor outreach. More information about the regional Outreach Workers and the outreach process will follow shortly.

When the 2024 fund opens, Survivors who did not receive a grant in 2021 will have the opportunity to apply for Grant 1 ($650). Additionally, all eligible Survivors can apply for and new grant (Grant 2) to help support their out-of-pocket health and wellness expenses. The application process will cover both Grant 1 and Grant 2, with one cheque per applicant disbursed.

For detail information on the grants, including amounts, eligibility criteria, and frequently asked questions, please visit our website https://jcwellness.org/.

On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff, I sincerely appreciate your continued patience as we develop a robust and efficient application process with the necessary support and respect that our Japanese Canadian Survivors deserve.

Respectfully submitted,

Joanne Miyazaki, Executive Director

Direct phone: 437-855-9750

Email: joanne.miyazaki@jcwellness.org