Steveston Japanese Language School Celebrates its 60th Anniversary Story by Sarah Gordon
Photos submitted
Japanese language studies in Steveston date back to the late 1800s when thousands of Japanese men arrived to make a living building fishing boats and fishing for the numerous salmon canneries that lined the Fraser River. They lived in bunkhouses and retained their culture and language. In the early 1900s, women and children followed them from Japan to settle in Steveston. At the turn of the twentieth century, the Japanese community was segregated. Japanese fishermen faced anti-Asian sentiment from Europeans who feared for their jobs. Between 1906 and 1907 Japanese language education began at the Japanese Hospital and Christian Church as there was a requirement that one must be a property owner in order for children to attend public school. The first Japanese school was built in 1909 on 6
the east side of No. 1 Road north of Chatham Street beside the Japanese Fisherman’s Benevolent Society, which was the hospital’s administration building. Although the school building no longer stands, the neighbouring Japanese Fishermen’s Benevolent Society was relocated in 2010 and has been preserved as a historic site. It is located behind the Steveston Museum and Post Office on Moncton Street and First Avenue. “The Japanese Language School educated young children, with an increasing emphasis on English. Eventually, the full B.C. curriculum was adopted and Japanese classes were taught after school.” (Steveston Historical Society) During the Second World War, the school closed due to the relocation and internment of Japanese Canadians. Japanese language
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