VANCOUVER, B.C. — Vancouver City Council has unanimously approved a motion brought forward by Green Councillor Pete Fry supporting the creation of a Japanese Canadian Hastings Park Interpretive Centre within the historic Livestock Barns at Hastings Park.

The motion responds to long-standing advocacy from Japanese Canadian community organizations seeking meaningful recognition of Hastings Park as a site of incarceration. Between 1942 and 1943, more than 8,000 Japanese Canadians, including many Vancouver residents, were forcibly confined in livestock barns and exhibition halls at the site before being sent to internment camps elsewhere in British Columbia.

“This motion is about acknowledging the City’s role in a serious historical injustice and ensuring it is properly documented and understood,” said Councillor Fry. “A permanent interpretive centre is an important step toward public education, accountability, and reconciliation.”

Recognizing a Site of Incarceration

Following Canada’s declaration of war with Japan in 1942, Vancouver City Council urged the federal government to remove all residents of Japanese racial origin from the Pacific Coast. Families were separated, people were held in unsanitary conditions, and homes, businesses, and personal property were seized and sold without charge, trial, or due process.

While the federal government formally apologized in 1988 and the City of Vancouver issued an apology in 2013, the experience of Japanese Canadians at Hastings Park remains largely unknown to the public.

“Public institutions have a responsibility to ensure this history is not minimized or forgotten,” Fry added. “Recognition must be permanent, visible, and accessible.”

Clear Direction and Next Steps

As approved, the motion commits Council, in principle, to supporting the establishment of the Interpretive Centre, subject to senior government agreements and funding considerations. Council also directed staff to work with the Japanese Canadian Hastings Park Interpretive Centre Society and the Pacific National Exhibition and to report back to Council in the first quarter of 2025 with further considerations for decision.

The motion further empowers the Mayor to write to provincial and federal ministers, the Japanese Canadian Legacy Society, and other potential funding partners to formally advise them of Council’s support and to seek collaboration on funding the project.

A Unanimous Decision

Council’s unanimous vote reflects shared recognition of the importance of historical accountability, public education, and reconciliation.

“This is about ensuring Vancouver works with the community to face its history honestly and takes responsibility for how it is remembered,” Fry said.