Description du lieu patrimonial

The historic place consists of the city of Nanaimo waterfront area, Newcastle Island and nearby smaller islands all located in or near Departure Bay off the east coast of Vancouver Island, B.C. The area comprises the former site of several Japanese Canadian fishery-related industries.

Valeur patrimoniale

Together, the Nanaimo waterfront, Newcastle Island and the associated smaller islands, Brandon and Jesse, in Departure Bay are significant for their historic, cultural, social and economic values particularly for their connection to two important Japanese Canadian enterprises, the salted herring and boat building industries, prior to World War II.

The Nanaimo waterfront, Newcastle Island and nearby associated smaller islands are important for being the location, beginning in the early 1900s, of a large collection of Japanese Canadian herring salteries, an industry that demonstrated their considerable entrepreneurial skills. Herring was considered worthless for food purposes at that time, so Japanese Canadians, prohibited by law from reducing the fish to fertilizer, began salting them. It is significant that their knowledge of overseas salted herring markets in Asia contributed to their success.

The Nanaimo area is significant for becoming the largest herring saltery area in the province in the 1890s; by 1920 the City of Nanaimo was known as 'Herring Town.' Saltery operations were clustered on Newcastle Island, Nanaimo and other islands around Departure Bay. By 1923 there were 43 herring salteries operating in the Strait of Georgia, with several on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Newcastle Island is important as the location of several herring salteries owned by Japanese Canadian businessmen.

The complex context surrounding the creation of this industry has historic value for its relationship to discrimination against Japanese Canadian fishers and resulting government legislation. Beginning in the 1900s, Japanese Canadians controlled a large portion of salmon and herring fisheries in B.C., bringing in new fishing technologies and opening up new fishing grounds. Agitation of white fishermen around this success resulted in the provincial government policy of reducing the number of fishing licenses issued to Japanese Canadians, a move designed to gradually eliminate Japanese Canadians from the fishing industry. By 1926, anyone working on herring fishing boats or in herring salteries had to be white or Indigenous.

Established in 1918 by Vancouver businessman T. Matsuyama, with assistance from the Ode brothers, the Nanaimo Shipyard is significant because it represents the considerable success of Japanese Canadians in the fishing boat building industry. From the early 1900s until their internment in 1942, Japanese Canadian boat builders were found wherever there were fishing communities. It is notable that seine-fishing boats built at the Nanaimo Shipyard were leased to white salmon fishermen because seining for salmon was forbidden by law for Japanese Canadians.

Matsuyama's flourishing business is notable for its size and for being an independent boatworks owned and operated by a Japanese Canadian. The boatworks built and repaired vessels, employing 26 year round staff plus additional part timers. By 1942, Matsuyama was the owner of 14 packing and seining boats.

The historic place has social value for being the location of a substantial Japanese Canadian community. Vegetable gardens were planted on nearby islands, several grocery stores were owned by Japanese Canadians, and children attended Brechin Elementary School and the Nanaimo Japanese Language School. The businesses and associated community, where Japanese Canadians attempted to work side by side with all ethnicities, are considered valuable for demonstrating the importance to Japanese Canadians of integrating into Canadian society.

Like most Japanese Canadian enterprises in B.C., the area is important for representing the World War II dispossession and forcible sale of Japanese Canadian businesses. All of the salteries, along with the Nanaimo Shipyards were confiscated, dismantled and sold in 1942 when the Japanese Canadian owners and workers were deported from the coast to internment camps in the B.C. interior.

Éléments caractéristiques

Not applicable