People uprooted from Sea Island (38)

Sea Island, near the mouth of the Fraser River, was traditionally used by the Coast Salish Peoples for seasonal hunting, fishing, and berry camps. More than 1,600 acres were purchased for farming in 1862. By the 1890s, canneries started operations on the islandʼs shores. Six canneries operated at various points on Sea Island until declining salmon stocks led to their closures; the last one closed in 1930.

Japanese fishermen settled on Sea Island in the late nineteenth century. Most Japanese Canadians worked in the fishing and canning industries or in related trades such as boatbuilding, fish collecting, and farming. Families lived near canneries, including Acme Cannery (1889-1918) and Vancouver Cannery (1896-1930), and many remained after the canneries closed.

In 1920, the community established a Japanese Language School after local children were excluded from public education. By the late 1930s, they were able to attend public school on Lulu Island and attended language classes at Vancouver Cannery after school. Community life centred on organizations such as the Sea Island Young People’s Society, the Pentecostal Church and Sunday School, and the Sea Island Hurricanes lacrosse team, which won the Nisei Lacrosse League championship in 1939.