NIMC News
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Updated June 1, 2021 — Health & Wellness Fund for Survivors
The Province of BC has provided Nikkei Seniors Health Care and Housing Society with $2 million to develop and deliver health and wellness programs for Japanese Canadians who were directly impacted by the BC Government actions from 1942 to April 1, 1949. The fund intends to involve community based participation to ensure the fund meets priority needs. For this reason, outreach in local communities to find organizations, small groups, and individuals is needed. This information will also help when the application process is ready in order to reach as many people as possible. If you or your organization want information or to provide information, please visit jcwellness.org.
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B.C. takes step to acknowledge historical wrongs against Japanese Canadians
May 6, 2021- See news release here: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2021AG0059-000847
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NIKKEI INTERNMENT MEMORIAL CENTRE – OPENING MAY 1
The Nikkei Interment Memorial Centre is opening soon! Starting May 1 will be welcoming visitors within the Health Authority Boundaries of Interior and Northern Health Regions. The current Public Health Order is in effect through May 25, 2021. Check back with us for any further updates.
Safety is our top priority! We will be following public health orders, restrictions and recommendations.
We wish to ensure that everyone has a memorable experience; however, we need to adhere to Public Health Orders. Let’s be safe, be healthy and protect one another. Prior to visiting, please check the provincial guidelines and review our COVID Safety Plan.
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Kyowakai Book – For Sale
The book titled Kyowakai: Memory and Healing in New Denver, written by local author Anne Champagne and designed by John Endo Greenaway was recently published and available for sale. The book is priced at $21 (including GST), plus a $10 shipping fee and can be ordered by contacting us at nikkei@newdenver.ca. Proceeds from the book benefit the NIMC. The book tells the story of Japanese Canadian internment in New Denver, the creation of the Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre (NIMC) by the Kyowakai Society, and the healing it inspired. The 76-page, soft-covered book features colour as well as black-and-white photographs, including images from the NIMC collection, Nikkei National Museum, Library and Archives Canada and various private collections.
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Kyowakai Book Published
Dec. 4, 2020 – The Village of New Denver has just released a new historical book titled Kyowakai: Memory and Healing in New Denver—Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre, written by local author Anne Champagne and designed by John Endo Greenaway. The book tells the story of Japanese Canadian internment in New Denver, the creation of the Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre (NIMC) by the Kyowakai Society, and the healing it inspired. The 76-page, soft-covered book features colour as well as black-and-white photographs, including images from the NIMC collection, Nikkei National Museum, Library and Archives Canada and various private collections. Read the full press release.
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NIMC Calendars – Available 
NIMC 2021 calendars are available to purchase at the Village Office or email: nikkei@newdenver.ca. These 11″x 17″ calendars showcase beautifully-detailed photographs of selected NIMC archives and are $20 each, plus tax. Proceeds go towards the NIMC operations and future projects. Thank you for your support.
NIMC 2020 – CLOSED for the Season
September 30, 2020 – The Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre is now closed for the season. Thank you for visiting the NIMC this season and for your support of our National Historic Site. We hope to see you next year! Council thanks our seasonal staff for their hard work this season.
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Japanese Canadian Historic Sites in BC: Journeys of Home
Destination BC has released the Feature Story, “Japanese Canadian Historic Sites: Journeys of Home” on their consumer trip-planning website: https://www.hellobc.com/stories/japanese-canadian-historic-sites-in-bc-journeys-ofhome/. This article tells the story of Japanese Canadians from the family story of a third generation Japanese Canadian, Laura Saimoto, whose family together with 22,000 Japanese Canadians, were interned from 1942-49 in Internment Camps in the interior of BC. It outlines easily accessible travel routes and describes where to discover and experience Japanese Canadian Historic sites throughout our beautiful province.
When the Second World War broke out, Japanese Canadians were considered a ‘security threat’ and interned in camps beyond a 100 mile zone from the west coast, stripped of their civil rights and dispossessed of all they owned – their houses, cars, boats, properties and businesses. This summer, with racial tensions rising all over the world, travel our backyard as an outdoor classroom to experience where this history happened and ways racism can so profoundly change the course of a community’s history. At the same time, be inspired by how, with amazing strength and resilience, the community rose above adversity to create a ‘sense of home’ for their children.
Japanese Canadian Historic Sites from all parts.
Japanese Canadian Historic Sites from all parts of BC invite you to visit and learn Japanese Canadian history as an integral part of British Columbia’s history this summer.
This July, we are promoting selfies at NIMC via historicplacesday.ca! Post your selfie
(or photo) on the website (https://historicplacesday.ca/contests/), tag #historicplacesday @nationaltrustca #Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre for a chance to win $1000! The contest runs until July 31. For more information: https://historicplacesday.ca/contests-selfie/
Open for Business
We are now open daily, 10 am to 5 pm. Please read COVID-19 Info for Visitors before your NIMC visit, so you know what to expect. Also, if you’re planning to visit BC, check out these helpful tips from Hello BC – Know Before You Go.
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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES @ NIMC
Do you like local history and meeting new people? The Village of New Denver is accepting applications for positions (Museum Assistants and Collections Assistant) at the Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre. There are both student and non-student positions to be filled; for more information on student positions, please see details below:
Museum Assistant – Job Description
Collections Assistant – Job Description
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