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Ground broken on Steveston Nikkei memorial

Ground was broken on a new public memorial last weekend, honouring Richmond’s founding Japanese-Canadian community members.
Richmond News
Steveston Nikkei memorial
The launch of the Steveston Nikkei memorial public art project took place on Saturday, September 22, 2018 with (L to R) Joseph Fry (Hapa Collaborative); Hirano Sensei (Steveston Buddhist Temple); Councillor Carol Day; Councillor Bill McNulty; Brenda Yttri (President, Steveston Community Society); Kelvin Higo (Chair, Steveston Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre Nikkei Memorial Committee); Mayor Malcolm Brodie; Councillor Chak Au; Councillor Ken Johnston; Councillor Linda McPhail; Councillor Derek Dang and Councillor Harold Steves. Photo: Submitted

Ground was broken on a new public memorial last weekend, honouring Richmond’s founding Japanese-Canadian community members.

The new Steveston Nikkei memorial will be built at Steveston Community Park and will honour Japanese emigrants and their descendants for their resilience, perseverance and community spirit.

Led by a team of artists known as the Hapa Collaborative, the project will acknowledge Japanese Canadians who departed from Steveston and returned following internment.

The design of the project was created by stakeholders and individuals who shared their experience of internment. Highlighting a metaphor of resilience, the project pays tribute to Issei (first) and Nisei (second) generations.

According to the city, “these themes will be expressed through landscaped pathways, plantings and design elements including paving patterns based on hand-made origami mats created by seniors at the Steveston Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, a plum tree, stone monuments and lanterns.”

The project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2019.