Victoria’s New Monument of Names
A monument near the B.C. Legislature lists some 25,000 uprooted Japanese Canadians and their children. It reopens to visitors in November, adding a heritage stop to Victoria itineraries.
Victoria has a new stop for clients who want more from the city than afternoon tea and the Inner Harbour. A monument to Japanese Canadians forcibly uprooted during the Second World War was officially unveiled on 5 October 2026 near the B.C. Legislature, steps from the harbour hotels most visitors already book.
What it is
For the first time, the names of about 22,000 people of Japanese descent who were uprooted from their homes by the government during the war, along with about 3,000 children born after the displacement, have been brought together in one place. The names run across 100 granite panels and are organised by the communities people called home before the uprooting began in 1942, according to the Japanese Canadian Legacies Society.
The monument was designed by KPMB Architects and PFS Studio and built by Chandos Construction after a competitive selection process. It is the result of years of work by the Japanese Canadian community and the Legacies Society, in partnership with the Province of British Columbia.
“This monument makes those people, places and stories visible again, permanently,” said Susanne Tabata, CEO of the Japanese Canadian Legacies Society.
Survivors spoke at the opening. Howard Shimokura said: “Seeing all those family names on the monument is really moving,” and that he hopes “people come to see all these names together, learn about the communities.” Mary Kitagawa recalled her family’s 17-acre farm on Salt Spring Island and the day, when she was seven, that “an RCMP officer came and took my father away.”
Timing a visit
There is a catch for anyone in Victoria this month. The site closes for final construction work from 8 October through the end of October and is expected to reopen to visitors in November, the society says.
Why it matters for itineraries
Because the names are grouped by pre-1942 community, many visitors will look for the specific places their families came from. That makes the monument a natural anchor for heritage and family-history travel, and for clients with Japanese Canadian roots. It also fits the cultural, slower Vancouver Island itineraries that sell well with repeat Canada clients.
For advisors
- Who to pitch: cultural and heritage travellers, educational and alumni groups, and clients tracing Japanese Canadian family history.
- When: from November, once the site reopens. Check status before quoting a guided visit.
- What to book: a guided Victoria heritage walk that includes the Legislature precinct, or pair it with a Salt Spring Island day, given the island’s place in the history.
- What to watch: any guided programming or interpretive material from the Japanese Canadian Legacies Society after reopening.
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