Your grandparents, parents, relatives, and friends may have shared their memories from Greenwood that can contribute to our understanding of their experiences. If you would like to share any, please contact Chuck Tasaka at info@greenwoodnikkei.ca.
Date: During internment summer of 1945
People involved: Joe Susumu Kuramoto, age 9; Martin Teiji Kuramoto, age 7; RCMP Constable Rogers(?) who trained blood hounds
My brother, Joe and I were fishing at the Boundary Creek which runs along Greenwood, B.C. While we were walking along the creek, with our fishing rods on our shoulders, the police car was travelling on a nearby road. Joe told me to put our fishing rods down. The Constable must have seen us. He stopped his car and looked towards us. For some reason we ran. We looked back and saw the Constable get out of his car and chased us with his two blood hound dogs barking. There was a bridge near by which we ran across and hid under the bridge. The Constable thought we ran further down the road but one of the dogs spotted us under the bridge. The Constable caught us and had questioned us. (The Japanese were not allowed to fish during the internment). He took our names and wrote it in his book. Nothing more came of it. We were the talk of the town for a short while.
In 1942, Masatsugu ‘Mas’ Imai was interned in Greenwood, a community which he was to make his home. Mas and his wife, Ritsuko Imoo, raised their children Rita, Wendy, Bernadine, and Cindy there. Mas worked for A&A Service and James Forshaw Ltd. and was active in the local community especially with the Greenwood Curling Club. Mas passed away from cancer in 1978. Jim Forshaw Jr. , whose father James Forshaw Sr. owned A&A Service, described Mas as a valued and trusted employee, but more importantly a wonderful family friend.
In 1979, the Hasegawa Museum in Tokyo, Japan was looking to collect and display different species of logs from all over the world. Boundary Sawmill in Midway received a request to obtain a prime example of Western Larch that was 40’ long, premium clear rough lumber, straight grain and no knots. The Western Larch log was sent by Seabord to Japan to the Hasegawa Log Museum in Tokyo. Before the log was shipped out, James named the log “MAS IMAI LOG” in memory of his friend’s active community leadership.
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Spring, and the month of May in Greenwood means, buttercup flowers, lilac scents, robins and swallows, Boundary Creek open for fishing, marble playing on dry hardened ground, and the maypole dance … May what? READ MORE ...
Every winter we looked forward to sleigh-riding. Our favourite run was past Sacred Heart School on the way up to the old ghost town of Phoenix. This was the most challenging run because of the hairpin turn! READ MORE …
[Mr. Tanizawa's] bakery display was always inviting and once you entered his store, you were instantly enveloped by great aromas. If it were possible, bakery aroma inhalation would be my choice to end life. My dad knew Mr. Tanizawa from their days in Steveston, B.C. where both families lived before the internment. On some Sundays, my dad’s day off, he would visit Mr. Tanizawa, who often baked on Sundays to ready items for Monday. They gabbed and perhaps reminisced past times. My dad’s visit with Mr. Tanizawa was a good sign for me because what usually happened next was seeing my dad crossing the street back over to our side bringing a dozen fresh baked cream buns on a baking sheet, nice fluffy buns, browned on top, filled inside with a generous dollop of real whipped cream, and dusted on top with icing sugar, yippee! READ MORE ...
The Issei men levelled the playground by taking large boulders out, and in turn used the boulders to make a rock wall on the first base line side.
Kids played softball at recess, lunch and sometimes after school.
My high school days in Greenwood were quite different. Sacred Heart Catholic School went up to grade eight, and after that the students went to Greenwood High School. I originally went to United Church School in grade one in 1942 and I was transferred to Greenwood Elementary School after. I believe grade two. So, I do remember most of the students that got together at grade nine. All was good until our school burnt down December 31st, 1951. The balance of the year was commuting to Grand Forks. I was in grade eleven at the time. READ MORE …
May Day in Greenwood
Sacred Heart School Yearbook, 1953
Greenwood’s May Day was held on the 22nd of May. Everyone was worried because it looked as if it was going to rain, but it didn’t, thanks be to God.
(Rita Hamaguchi Grade 8)
The Queen was from Westbridge and the retiring Queen from Bridesville. The attendant was from Midway and the retiring attendant from Greenwood. The ceremony started around 10:00 am.
(Marcelline Shinde Grade 8)
After the speeches by the Queens, there was a program of May Pole Square, Folk dances, a French Minuet and Schottische. After all this it was lunch time, so we went home and returned to the grounds at 1:00 pm for the track meet. (Sumiko Oye Grade 7)
We all tried hard to get points for our school to get the big silver cup. Greenwood school was winning and next was Sacred Heart but in the end the Rhone School won the cup. They have only nine pupils in their school.
Sacred Heart boys and girls both won a silver cup for the relays. Katrina Izumi won the individual cup for beginners. We all had a nice time on May Day—our only worry was the weather.
We hope they keep on having a nice track meet every year.
(Nobuko Murao Grade 7)