A Greenwood man who has been the driving force for several years behind a park dedicated to the city’s Japanese-Canadian history has been nominated for a Heritage BC award. Chuck Tasaka is recognized in the category for outstanding volunteer impact for his work on Nikkei Legacy Park, which promotes remembrance, education, and reconciliation. He has also written two books about the history of Greenwood, which is where he grew up, and where he retired after a long teaching career on Vancouver Island.
What’s your reaction to being nominated?
I had no idea! I wasn’t informed, so I don’t know anything about it. I don’t know who nominated me.
How long have you been involved with the park?
I started the project in 2014. I went to Greenwood in 2012 when I wrote my first book, Runny-Nosed Brats of Greenwood. One of the museum members told me there’s a Japanese park, Ohairi Park. I walked down to the park and looked around. I said, “I think it needs a lot of upgrading.” And that’s how I started. It was almost impulsive on my part. I just felt something had to be done. I looked at the street, it’s Highway 3, and said “There’s not a single landmark that indicates Greenwood was the first interment camp.”
So you did something about that.
I felt it was my responsibility, being a former Greenwood person, to do something to upgrade this park. My first project was to have family plaques [made] so families have a reason to return to Greenwood and teach their children and grandchildren about the internment history. And then one thing led to another. I dedicated a panel for the World War I Japanese Canadian veterans. Just this last year, I paid tribute to the three Vancouver Asahi [baseball] Hall of Famers who came to Greenwood.
It’s also to show that Greenwood integrated so well. We lived in harmony and it was not even an internment camp. I call it an “internment site.” We weren’t segregated or anything like that. We just lived hand-in-hand with the local folks.
What drives you? Is it a love for the place where you grew up or do you like recognizing history that otherwise maybe wouldn’t be recognized?
It’s funny, I had no intention of moving back to Greenwood. I had no motivation to start the Nikkei Legacy Park project. It’s just circumstance. Slowly I reconnected with Greenwood, and then I promised the city I would maintain the park. I bought a place in 2021, because the motel bills were getting a little too high. I was fortunate that a friend, Ken Hamanishi, offered his parents’ home for me for three, four years, and that helped to be able to work on the park. Maybe it was meant to be.
What kind of projects have you been working on lately?
We received a grant in 2023 to begin creating a Japanese garden. I’ve named it the Greenwood Nikkei Memorial Garden.
You’ve also been involved in the museum?
Yes, I’m under the umbrella of the Greenwood Museum. We work together a lot. But the City of Greenwood’s public works did a tremendous job of giving us in-kind service. We had unbelievable support from them. It was fantastic to have our grand opening [in 2025] with the City of Greenwood, public works, local volunteers, and the Greenwood Museum. Everyone got involved and made my job so much easier. That’s why I feel like it’s deja vu where Mayor McArthur was welcoming [at the start of the internment], helped find a place for us to stay. And now in the present day, Greenwood is very supportive of this project.
