Masahiro Miyazaki
A Reversal of Fortune
Born in Japan in 1899, Masahiro Miyazaki journeyed to Canada in 1913. He graduated from the University of British Columbia, and was later licensed as an Osteopath in 1929 in Missouri. His prospects in his new country were bright and limitless. Miyazaki’s fortunes were reversed, however, in WWII when the doctor and his family were interned with other Japanese Canadians at Bridge River near Lillooet in 1942 after Japan entered the war. All Japanese Canadians were removed from the West Coast by the Canadian Government.
“A Military Necessity”
Although senior members of the military and RCMP were against the internment, saying that the Japanese Canadians were not a threat to the country, the order came down under the War Measures Act in 1942 for all Japanese to leave what was then called the “restricted area” which covered the area within 160 kms of the west coast.
Over 21,000 Japanese Canadians went first to livestock barns at Hastings Park in Vancouver, then to a variety of camps in the interior. Men were separated from their families and sent to work camps for part of the time. All of their property and possessions were sold to pay for the internment. Living conditions in the camps were crowded and poor. After all of the harsh treatment, then Prime Minister Mackenzie King admitted to the House of Commons in 1944 that, “It is a fact no person of Japanese race born in Canada has been charged with any act of sabotage or disloyalty during the years of war.”
Four years after the end of the war, in 1949, the restrictions placed on Japanese Canadians were lifted and they were given full citizenship rights, which included the right to return to the west coast and the right to vote. But with no home or property to return to, it was difficult for anyone to return to life before the war.
Lillooet
The town of Lillooet and surrounding area hosted a number of internment camps. A small one, housing about 25 families, was in Minto, an abandoned gold mining town that was later flooded, creating Carpenter Lake which is the reservoir for the Bridge River dam.
Another much larger camp was in Lillooet itself on a large parcel of land straddling the highway between Lytton and Lillooet. A commercial vegetable garden business operates there now. Documents from the time indicate that this camp, utilizing 62 roughly 12’ x 12’ cabins, housed about 345 people.
Another Reversal of Fortune
While Masahiro Miyazaki and his family started their internment in the Bridge River Internment Camp at South Shalath, fellow internees, local First Nations residents, and BC Hydro employees heard he was a doctor and consulted him for medical treatment as there was no doctor in town.
In 1944, local photographer, writer, and businessman, Artie Phair was photographing the area and the camp when he met Dr. Miyazaki. Lillooet had no doctor and Phair drafted a petition that would allow the Miyazaki family to leave the camp and move into his family home, Longford House, where he could practice medicine. In 1947 he was able to legally own the house.
Dr. Miyazaki became an incredibly influential element in the fabric of Lillooet’s community and history. In 1950, he became the first Japanese Canadian to hold public office when he was elected to the Town Council. He founded the local volunteer fire department, housed the town’s first ambulance service, was active in the Boy Scouts, the Historical Society, and was a founding member of the Lillooet Elks. Recognizing his tireless service the community Miyazaki was made a freeman of the Village of Lillooet and later, in 1977, was appointed to the Order of Canada.
Miyazaki House, a historical building with great significance to the town of Lillooet, was gifted to the town by Dr. Miyazaki before his death in 1984. Efforts are underway to preserve and utilize the house in a way that honours this great man’s powerful legacy.
In 1988, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney formally apologized to the Japanese Canadians and their families for the internment and hardship it created. In his speech, Mulroney said, "We cannot change the past. But we must, as a nation, have the courage to face up to these historical facts."
The Japanese Internment is not a proud moment in Canadian history, but it is an important one, as learning from the past is crucial if we are to create a strong future for all Canadians.
Bibliography and Sources:
“1988: Government apologizes to Japanese Canadians” (September 22, 1988), in CBC Digital Archives, retrieved May 31, 2017 from http://www.cbc.ca/archives/entry/1988-government-apologizes-to-japanese-canadians
“B.C. government recognizes 56 historic Japanese-Canadian places” (April 1, 2017), in CBC News: British Columbia, Retrieved May 31, 2017 from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/56-japanese-canadian-places-revealed-government-of-bc-1.4051659
“Lillooet” (June 2, 2012), in Vanishing British Columbia, Retrieved June 1, 2017 from https://www.michaelkluckner.com/bciw6miyazaki.html
“Miyazaki House Project Launches in Lillooet” (May 29, 2013), in The Bulletin: a journal of Japanese Canadian Community, History + Culture, Retrieved June 1, 2017 from http://jccabulletin-geppo.ca/miyazaki-house-project-launches-in-lillooet/
Detailed access information:
Parking at the end of Davis Road makes it a quick park n grab, or if you're on the other side of the river, it's a quick walk across the old bridge from the end of Old Bridge Road.
Please Note:
As this cache is in a higher traffic area, please be use stealth finding it, and re-hide it well. There are also some steep drop-offs nearby, but there's no need to go anywhere near them.