Artefact 2; Seizure of Japanese Canadian Fishing Vessels

Citation:

Canada. Dept. of National Defence. (n.d.). Fishermen's Reserve rounding up Japanese-Canadian fishing vessels [Photograph]. Library and Archives Canada. PA-037467. Retrieved from http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.redirect?app=fonandcol&id=3193627&lang=eng  

 Label:
In the aftermath of Canada declaring war on Japan on December 8, 1941, immediate and severe actions were taken against Japanese Canadians. An example of this is when the Canadian government siezed and confiscated approximately 1,200 Japanese-Canadian owned fishing vessels. This photograph captures the moment when the Fishermen's Reserve, a unit of the Canadian Navy, rounded up these vessels as part of broader wartime measures. The boats, important to the livelihood of many Japanese Canadian families, were anchored and densely fastened together, stripped of their purpose and awaiting their fate at the hands of the Custodian of Enemy Property.

This mass seizure not only devastated the economic backbone of the Japanese Canadian community but also marked a significant moment of loss and disempowerment. The boats, once a means for independence and sustenance, were later sold off at bargain prices, severing generations of connection to the fishing industry. This action was one among many, including the closure of Japanese language schools and media, designed to suppress and control the Japanese Canadian population under the false pretext of national security.The visual captured in the photograph is haunting and resembles a fleet of ghost ships, each one soulessly floating alongside one another. This desolate image serves as a powerful reminder of the harsh realities faced by Japanese Canadians during this chaotic period.

Bibliography: 

[1] Fishermen's Reserve rounding up Japanese-Canadian fishing vessels. https://exhibits.library.utoronto.ca/items/show/2096  

[2] https://najc.ca/japanese-canadian-history/