Canada’s First National Internment Operations 1914-1920

Between 1914 and 1920, thousands of Ukrainians and other Europeans were imprisoned as “enemy aliens” in 24 internment camps located across Canada. These prisoners, part of Canada’s first national internment operations, came to the Dominion as peaceful immigrants desirous of becoming law-abiding Canadian citizens. Deprived of their freedom, and disenfranchised, many internees lost their personal wealth and were forced to do heavy labour on federal government projects.

 

The affected communities include Ukrainians, Alevi Kurds, Armenians, Austrians, Bulgarians, Croatians, Czechs, Germans, Hungarians, Italians, Jews, Ottoman Turks, Poles, Romanians, Russians, Serbians, Slovaks, Slovenes, among others of which most were Ukrainians and most were civilians that were interned or registered as "enemy aliens".

 

Over 80,000 others were categorized as "enemy aliens" and obliged to report regularly to their local police authorities or to the North West Mounted Police. They were issued with identity papers that had to be carried at all times, the penalty for noncompliance being arrest and possible imprisonment.

 

These prisoners, part of Canada’s first national internment operations, came to the Dominion as peaceful immigrants desirous of becoming law-abiding Canadian citizens. Deprived of their freedom, and disenfranchised, many internees lost their personal wealth and were forced to do heavy labour on federal government projects.

 

Of the over 24 internment camps in Canada, one third of them were in British Columbia, for the use of civilian forced labour to build the provincial infrastructure. Vernon was the largest and longest in operation, 1914 to 1920! It was the permanent British Columbia internment camp.

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Working camps were located: Nanaimo, Fernie/Morrissey, Yoho National Park; Mt. Revelstoke National Park, Mara Lake (2 camps) Monashee and Edgewood. Hwys 6 and 97A were built on the backs for slave labour.

 

The voices of the internees must be heard and the descendants have these oral history to share!

 

We again ask the British Columbia Government’s acknowledgement that the unjust treatment of our ancestors is a tragic chapter in the history of our country and province. We seek redress on behalf of our families and on behalf of our communities. Internment and forced slave labour was a violation of their human rights. The economical losses were staggering. A hardship for all.

 

We ask for financial assistance to educate British Columbians about the prejudicial and racist practices of a century ago to ensure that no one is ever again imprisoned and enslaved because of where they were born.

 

An internment museum in Vernon is required as an educational place of oral history.

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Anne Sadelain, Honorary Chair, BC Redress Campaign

Descendants of Ukrainian Canadian Internee Victims Association (DUCIVA)

DUCIVA has been around for decades providing their story of internment and seeking redress from the Canadian government, which never happened.  Anne’s father was unjustly interned in Fernie/Morrissey, Vernon and Mara Lake internment camps. He was NEVER CHARGED WITH ANY CRIME.

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