ストロベリー・ヒルから追放された (12)

Strawberry Hill was established as an agricultural settlement in the early 1900s. It received its name from the Japanese Canadian farmers who cleared land and grew strawberries in the area until the early 1940s. The neighbourhood had the largest concentration of Japanese Canadian families in the Surrey area.

One of the first Japanese farmers in Strawberry Hill was Jukichi Onishi, who settled on the east side of Scott Road in 1909. Yasutaro Yamaga helped establish the Strawberry Hill Japanese Farmers’ Association in 1927. The Association allowed them to pool resources and remain competitive in the produce market. By 1928, Japanese Canadian farmers in the area were producing ninety-two percent of the provinceʼs strawberries and seventy-five percent of its raspberries.

The Association’s Berry Hall was a hub for Japanese Canadians in the surrounding area, fostering a sense of community through events and cultural sharing. It was also the home of the Japanese Language School where Mr. Hayashi taught. Zennosuke Inouye, president of the Surrey Berry Growers’ Association, acquired eighty acres of farmland on Sandell Road after the First World War, and developed a successful farming business. Of the over 500 Japanese Canadians in Surrey who had their property taken, Zennosuke is believed to be the only one to have his land returned.