British Columbia History 55.1 Spring 2022

Today I learned that on January 11, 2022, Kaye Kaminishi turned 100 years old. He is the last living member of the legendary Vancouver Asahi baseball club. It’s pretty incredible to think about—the things that Kaye and other centenarians would have seen throughout their lifetimes. As we enter another year of the global pandemic, I am curious about the resilience someone like Kaye must have had throughout his 100 years. There are so many questions I would like to ask him. A century is a long time to live and gain wisdom—to keep learning from the past. As the BC Historical Federation turns 100 years old on June 22, 2022, the significance of the organization’s longevity is not lost on me. I’ve had to follow in some pretty big footsteps;…

Dear Editor, The Winter 2021 edition of BC History magazine is a wonderful read. This edition holds some special interest for me. Gladys Fletcher of Ainsworth, my wife Trudy’s grandmother, wrote for the Kootenaian, mentioned in the article about The New Canadian newspaper. I very much enjoyed the article “Rassling in the Royal City,” as during my high school days, 1965 to 1970, two of my instructors were teachers by day and “professional wrestlers” in the evenings. You never misbehaved in their classes. The article by Andrea Lister, “Read All About It,” covered a piece of history that occurred nearby, and I learned that relief camp 227 operated in Agassiz. Using the digitized editions is worth the effort but searching can be a challenge. I live in Popkum and am…

With the invention of the incandescent light bulb in the 1880s came a boom in its production and use. Victoria was no exception: It was a modern city, with many of its better-off homes lit by electricity. Increasing construction along the Gorge Waterway led to the expansion of the streetcar network along Gorge and Craigflower Roads. The BC Electric Railway bought 20 acres [8 hectares] of land from the Hudson’s Bay Company and in a matter of months cleared half of those acres to create a park at its terminus. On July 26, 1905, Tramway Gorge Park was opened to great fanfare, with “GORGE PARK” spelled out in electric candles welcoming visitors and heralding the new industrial “Electric Age.” The regular summer tram service ran two cars, each with a…

This book is a valuable resource and one of the first to document the century-old Japanese-Canadian story. Born in 1920 and educated in Victoria, Toyo Takata was the oldest of six children to Kensuke and Misuyo Takata. From 1948 to 1952, Toyo was the editor of the English section of The New Canadian, the only Japanese-run publication allowed to operate in the internment camps [see issue 54.4 for more on this newspaper]. Because of this experience, and as the president of the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre in Toronto, he “became the unofficial historian of the vanished Japanese community of BC.” It was through Toyo’s research, including interviews with George Nagano, that he determined that George’s father, Manzo Nagano, was the first Japanese person to settle in Canada in 1877. He…

After Redress in September 1988, community funds were available across Canada for capital projects that served the Japanese-Canadian community. A campaign was underway in Victoria to rebuild the Japanese gardens at the Gorge, but the Takata Garden Society was frustrated by bureaucracy from the Esquimalt Parks and Recreation. (A far cry from the incredible support seen today from the municipality of Esquimalt, mayor and council, and Esquimalt parks and recreation.) In 1995, some of the funds raised were used to donate 15 sakura (cherry blossom trees), a plaque, and a memorial stone that commemorated the history of the gardens. The majority of the funds were used to build Takata Garden and Teahouse at the Horticulture Centre of the Pacific. Begun in 1995, the Takata Garden opened in 1999 with members…

JANUARY 2017 • Capital Regional District and the Township of Esquimalt agree on an amenity-funding package. The McLoughlin Point Amenity Reserve Funds will be used for capital projects in waterfront parks and recreation facilities. Public is asked for project idea proposals for use of funds. FEBRUARY–MAY 2018 • Public online survey of proposals, round one. MAY–DECEMBER 2018 • Round two online survey. NOVEMBER 2019 • Esquimalt council approves multi-purpose building for Gorge Park. JANUARY 2020 • Detailed design phase of the project with Iredale Architecture. Construction commences shortly after. JANUARY–FEBRUARY 2022 • Anticipated completion of Esquimalt Gorge Pavilion. APRIL 2022 • Planned grand opening with historical display wall.…