Consul General Okai paid tribute to a cenotaph for Japanese-Canadians in Port Alberni

Consul General Okai paid tribute to a cenotaph for Japanese-Canadians in the public cemetery in Port Alberni on July 18^th and graves of Japanese-Canadians in Nanaimo on 19^th.  Japanese people started to migrate to the Vancouver Island in 1870s and contributed to the development of these areas through working in forestry, fishery and coal mines.  Subsequent to the internment during the war, the graves were abandoned and left ruined.  After the war, memorial monuments were built at some places through efforts by the communities using redress money from the government of Canada.