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The Japanese Canadian Pioneers of Lake Country, British Columbia. 1899 – 1939

This is a story about courage — a look at the lives of the Japanese Canadian pioneers, who, from 1899 through the 1930s, were some of the first settlers in the District of Lake Country.

The Japanese Canadian Pioneers of Lake Country, BC. 1899 – 1939 is an extensive addition to the Archives of the Lake Country Museum. It is a virtual exhibition published online in the Canadian Heritage and Information Network‘s (CHIN) Community Memories online gallery.

Japanese Canadian Haiku Club
The Haiku Club at Rainbow Ranche, Okanagan Centre. Late 1930s.

The material contained in this virtual exhibit — photographs, videos, interviews, documentation — portrays the arrival, experiences, hardships, and above all, the quiet dignity and perseverance with which the Japanese Canadians met the challenges of this new land of Canada.

The stories are told by their children and grandchildren, and through their personal collections as well as the collections of the Lake Country Museum and Archives.