One of Richmond’s oldest residents is just a few days shy of her 100th birthday.
On Oct. 1, Kiyoko Tanaka will reach the magic century, having lived in the city for the past 60 years, bringing up four children, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Born in Osaka, Japan to parents Sosaku and Tokuye Hirota, Tanaka’s path to life in Canada was, at the very least, a long and winding one.
After completing high school, she found employment with a wealthy family as a maid which, for many young women at the time, was regarded as an opportunity to learn how to shop for groceries, cook, sew, knit, and care for infants in preparation for marriage.
On Jan. 22, 1940, she married Takao Tanaka and soon made preparations to immigrate to Canada to join her husband, who was a fisherman on the B.C. coast.
She completed the immigration requirements but her approval was not granted before Dec. 7, 1941 when the Canadian government officially declared war with Japan.
Her husband was interned on a sugar beet farm in Manitoba during the war years and was finally allowed to return to the B.C. coast in April 1949.
He had to re-establish is life and fishing career as well as complete the immigration documents for Kiyoko to join him, which was finally realized in 1953, almost 14 years after they were married.
While raising her family in Steveston, Kiyoko also worked at the BC Packers fishing plant in Steveston.
She now enjoys spending time with family and friends and her hobbies: gardening and making various crafts with her seniors group.
Kiyoko is an active member of the Steveston Seniors Centre and the Steveston Buddhist Church.
