In February 1942, the federal government decided to set up four major road building camps (referred to as “road camps”) in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario. The camps were set up in three locations in British Columbia—Hope-Princeton, Revelstoke-Sicamous, and Blue River-Yellowhead—and one in Ontario, Jackfish-Schreiber. Among these, the three camps in British Columbia were considered to be a priority for national security reasons. 

Japanese Canadian men forcibly relocated from coastal areas of British Columbia were sent to these three road camps. 

Hope-Princeton Road Camp 

The Hope-Princeton Road Camp was established to construct a 133-kilometre road connecting Hope and Princeton. Among the three road camps in British Columbia, it was the closest to the “protected area,” and the families of those men were housed nearby in the Tashme internment camp. 

Revelstoke-Sicamous Road Camp 

The Revelstoke-Sicamous Road Camp was set up for highway construction between Revelstoke and Sicamous. Approximately 500 Japanese Canadian men were sent to this camp. They worked on developing, improving, and reconstructing a 44.5-mile (approximately 71.6 kilometres) section of the Trans-Canada Highway west of Revelstoke for two years and four months. 

Blue River-Yellowhead Road Camp 

The Blue River-Yellowhead Road Camp, located near the Alberta border, began operations in February 1942. Its purpose was to construct a highway connecting British Columbia and Alberta. At its peak in 1942, around 1,500 Japanese Canadian men worked here. However, by May 1946, only 35 workers remained. 

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East Lillooet, Bridge River, Minto, and McGillivray Falls, located in the mountainous regions of British Columbia (BC), were designated as “self-supporting camps” for the internment of Japanese Canadians. These camps did not receive any government funding.

In these internment camps, leaving the premises was strictly prohibited. Due to the harsh living conditions in the mountainous geography, the internees were forced to live self-sufficiently, facing challenges like resource shortages and extreme cold.

East Lillooet

East Lillooet was the largest self-supporting camp in the Lillooet area, located approximately 250 kilometres northeast of Vancouver. Situated upstream along the Fraser River, the camp housed over 300 individuals.

The living conditions were extremely harsh. Residents had to build their own shelters, lived without electricity, and endured severe winter cold. Initially, water had to be hauled from the Fraser River, stored in tanks, and filtered before use, creating significant inconvenience. Despite these challenges, Japanese Canadians relied on limited resources and led lives centred around agricultural activities.

Bridge River

The Bridge River camp was a self-supporting settlement established in the remnants of an abandoned gold mining and hydroelectric project site. Japanese Canadians were forced to live in shacks previously used by labourers and left vacant for years. They sustained themselves primarily through agricultural efforts.

Minto

Minto was an isolated area that had once thrived as a mining town but had been abandoned by wartime due to the closure of many mines. Its remote location made it an especially challenging place to live compared to other camps.

McGillivray Falls

McGillivray Falls was located just outside the 100-mile “protected area” (approximately 160 kilometres). Japanese Canadians there were employed at a sawmill near D’Arcy, a town within the protected area.

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Greenwood is known as the first town in Canada to take a proactive stance in accepting Japanese Canadians who were interned during World War II.

Grand Forks, however, served as a “self-supporting site” where families worked together to rebuild their lives.

Greenwood

Greenwood was one of the Japanese Canadian internment sites supported by the Canadian government. In 1942, when the internment began, most towns rejected the arrival of Japanese Canadians. However, Greenwood welcomed them.

At that time, Greenwood’s population had dwindled to about 200 people, and the town faced the risk of decline. Mayor W.E. MacArthur Sr. publicly declared in a newspaper advertisement that the town would not refuse Japanese Canadians. This statement became a catalyst for their relocation to Greenwood as a new place of residence.

Key figures in relocating Japanese Canadians included Father Benedict Quigley of the Catholic Church and Franciscan nuns, who played significant roles in supporting the community.

In 1945, the Canadian government forced Japanese Canadians to choose one of two options: move east of the Rockies or “repatriate” to Japan. However, in Greenwood, the city hall and the Chamber of Commerce submitted protests to the government to allow Japanese Canadians to stay in the region. As a result, hundreds of Japanese Canadians remained in Greenwood and built new lives. Greenwood became one of the few communities that continued to provide a life foundation for Japanese Canadians after the war.

Grand Forks 

Grand Forks is located approximately 40 kilometres east of Greenwood. Beginning in 1939, under the leadership of Reverend Esumatsu Nakatani, Japanese Canadians voluntarily established a foundation for their lives, making Grand Forks one of the “self-supporting relocation sites.” Over 300 people relocated there. 

Cooperating with nearby towns such as Greenwood and Midway, the community made an effort to support Japanese Canadians in establishing their livelihoods.

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