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, BC.
The following virtual
exhibition portrays their
arrival, experiences,
| hardships, and above all the
quiet dignity and
perseverance with which they
met the challenges of a new
land. Their stories are told
by their children and
grandchildren, and through
the collections of the Lake
Country Museum and Archives.
The Japanese community in
| Lake Country was established
in the early 1900s, as
workers came to the Okanagan
to plant new orchards. Many
of the earliest pioneers were
employed first at the
Coldstream Ranch at Vernon,
later moving to Okanagan
Centre, Winfield, and to the
Rainbow Ranche camp and
| orchards. These pioneers
arriving in the Okanagan,
often from other areas of
British Columbia, were young
single men intending to work
in Canada for a few years and
then return to Japan. They
brought with them many skills
and a strong work ethic, and
they contributed a great deal
|