Volume 13 No. 3
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Nikkei Images National Nikkei Museum and Heritage Centre Newsletter ISSN#1203-9017 Fall 2008, Vol. 13, No. 3 The ‘River Garage’ by Theodore T. Hirota My father the foot of Third Hayao Hirota was Avenue it spread born on January e a s t w a r d a w a y 25, 1910, in the from the Canadian small fishing vil- Fishing Company’s lage of Ladner, Gulf of Georgia located on the Cannery and burned left bank of the down the Star, Ste- Fraser River in veston, and Light- British Columbia house Canneries as just a few miles well as the London, from where the Richmond, and Star river empties into Hotels before the the Gulf of Geor- fire was stopped at gia. On the right Number One Road. bank of the lower The walls of the arm of the Fraser The Walker Emporium hardware store catered to Steveston’s fishing Hepworth Block industry in the early 1900s. (Photo courtesy T. Hirota) River and right remained the only at the mouth of Block reputedly were ballast from structure left stand- the river, another fishing village, the early sailing ships and were ing on the entire south side of Steveston, was home to 14 salmon replaced by canned salmon on the Moncton Street. All that was left fishing canneries in 1900. return trip to Britain. along the waterfront after the fire At the time of my father’s When a fire broke out were row upon rows of blackened birth, a substantial hardware store at the Star Cannery’s Chinese pilings. Moncton Street, however, catering to the fishing industry mess house on May 14, 1918, at Continued on page 2 was already in existence at the Contents corner of Moncton Street and The ‘River Garage’.................................................................................................1 Second Avenue in Steveston. The Mithlkum Belis: Nisga’a’s Shining Star..................................................................10 1897 Steveston Fishermen’s Dantai.....................................................................14 ‘Walker Emporium’ occupied The Hope Friendship Garden...............................................................................16 Lots 17 and 18 on the northeast ‘Wild Birds’ Exhibit................................................................................................17 corner of the intersection, across The Reality of Nikka Yuko....................................................................................18 Second Book on Nikkei Fishermen......................................................................20 the street from the Hepworth JCNM and Nikkei Place Highlights.......................................................................20 Block building (circa 1913), an A Family Affair.......................................................................................................21 imposing brick structure housing New and Renewing Members/Announcements....................................................24 the post office. The bricks used in REDRESS SPECIAL the construction of the Hepworth 20th Anniversary of Redress Settlement...............................................................3 Giri and Ninjo: Reflections on Redress..................................................................4 Watari Dori: Capturing the Redress Spirit............................................................21 1 Nikkei Images is published by the National Nikkei Museum and Heritage Centre Society Editorial Committee: Stanley Fukawa, Grace Hama, Frank Kamiya, Christine Kondo, Edzard Teubert, Mitsuo Yesaki, Carl Yokota The devastating aftermath of the 1918 Steveston fire. Subscription to Nikkei Images (Photo courtesy T. Hirota) is free with your yearly membership to NNMHCS: provided a fire break and the work from Home Oil and converted of volunteer firemen and their the corner of the hardware store Family $25 Individual $20 equipment kept the buildings on into a gas station and garage with Senior/Student $15 the north side intact including the two underground gasoline tanks, Senior Couple $20 ‘Walker Emporium’. two pumps and an air compressor. Non-profit Association $50 Following the stock mar- The loan was repaid (at the rate Corporate $100 ket crash of 1929 and the subse- of 2 cents a gallon of gasoline $1 per copy for non-members quent economic depression, the sold) within two to three years. ‘Walker Emporium’ experienced He renamed the establishment NIKKEI PLACE financial troubles and the property ‘River Garage’. A photograph of 6688 Southoaks Crescent, was taken over by the Corporation the garage shows the two pumps Burnaby, B.C., V5E 4M7 of the Township of Richmond in facing Moncton Street with “RA- Canada Brighouse for unpaid taxes (In- DIO” on the wall next to the car. tel: (604) 777-7000 fax: (604) 777-7001 formation provided by City Hall Within the garage facilities Hayao [email protected] in Brighhouse). In a decision to placed a sign in the window in- www.jcnm.ca minimize the loss of the family dicating ‘River Radio’ and sold www.nikkeiimages.com fish brokerage business, profits to Phonola and DeForest Crosley grandfather and his drinking bud- brand radios. Hayao went into dies at the Sockeye Hotel (now the partnership with Taro Shimizu, a Disclaimer: Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information Steveston Hotel) as well as pro- brother-in-law. Taro worked for contained within Nikkei Images. How- viding self-employment during 15 years repairing automobiles on ever, due to the possibility of human the quiet winter months, Hayao Gore Avenue in Vancouver before or mechanical error, Nikkei Images does not guarantee the correctness, purchased the ‘Walker Emporium’ setting up shop at River Garage. adequacy or completeness of any in September 1936 for the $999 in A reference to the opening of the information and is not responsible for taxes that were owed. garage was featured on page 1 of any errors or omissions or the results obtained from the use of such infor- He leased the property to the MARPOLE–RICHMOND mation. Opinions expressed in this the Home Oil Distributers Ltd. for REVIEW on January 13, 1937. publication are those of the authors 10 years with a Home Oil option The purchase and conversion of and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors or of the NNM&HC. to renew for a further 10 years. the property was carried out by He arranged a loan of $1,500 Hayao at age 26 with a 19 year- 2 Continued on page 6 20th Anniversary of Japanese Canadian Redress Settlement Let’s Celebrate Together by Grace Eiko Thomson On September 22, 2008, King, of the April 14, 1988, Rally we celebrate the 20th anniversary on Parliament Hill, document an of perhaps the most important important event. These images, date in the lives of Canadians of now iconic, of the placard-carry- Japanese origin. For those of us ing Japanese Canadians, including who remember, and for all those war veterans, numbering some whose lives have been changed, five hundred, also brought pres- it is worth repeating that on this sure to the Government which NAJC President Grace Thomson date, Art Miki, then President of had through more than a four- (G.Thomson photo, 2008) the National Association of Japa- and-a-half-year process discour- nese Canadians (NAJC), signed aged NAJC attempts to negotiate the last 20 years, the signifi- the Japanese Canadian Redress individual compensation, even cance of the historic precedence Agreement with Brian Mulroney, as the enormity of economic loss produced by Japanese Canadian the Prime Minister of Canada, in incurred by Japanese Canadians Redress Settlement cannot be un- Parliament. It was an auspicious came to public attention through derestimated. On the opening day, moment that brought overwhelm- the Price Waterhouse Study (May Friday, September 19th, a plenary ing joy and relief to each Japanese 8, 1986). titled Redress: Never Too Late, Canadian who had, personally The Redress Agreement will be launched, moderated by or through parents, experienced achieved was one which con- former NAJC President, Arthur the devastating effects of racial- tained `a just and honourable K. Miki, C.M. A collaborative ses- ization, internment, and forced settlement, a `justice in our time’, sion, Mr. Albert Lo, President of dispersal. as advanced and finally negotiated Canadian Race Relations Founda- While there is no doubt by the NAJC Redress and Strategy tion, will present the introduction. the Japanese American Redress Committees. Panel participants are representa- Settlement was a significant fac- The 20th Anniversary Cel- tives of communities who more tor in the Canadian Government’s ebration Event, to be held on Sep- recently received redress from the decision to negotiate, particularly tember 19th, 20th, and 21st, 2008, Canadian Government (Chinese with a federal election forthcom- will give opportunity to Japanese Canadian Head Tax Survivors ing, the Japanese Canadian Re- Canadians to remember this past, and the Indian Residential School dress Movement was greatly in this present, and to consider Survivors.) They will share their aided by support coming from their future. Being held in the experiences of the terms of agree- grassroots Canadians, both indi- Vancouver Japanese Language ment, and impact on their com- vidual and group, from all walks School and Japanese Hall, in Van- munities, together with any other of life. No less was the support couver, and at the National Nikkei actions which may be taken to of media which had begun to Museum & Heritage Centre, in ensure that the past will not be take on the language of redress, Burnaby, Japanese Canadian Re- forgotten. Respondents are