Anglican Healing Fund for Japanese Canadians – Programs are Open

An update from the
Anglican Healing Fund for Japanese Canadians

Applications are now open

If you are a survivor or a survivor family member of Mr. Gordon Goichi Nakayama’s abuse you are eligible to apply for healing funds. Counselling support is being offered immediately and we have a counsellor available who is able to help you with your application, whenever required.

Education grants will be collected and reviewed every semester. Education grants are valued at up to $10,000 and can be applied for retroactively to June 15, 2015. If you were undertaking postsecondary education on or after June 15, 2015, and are a survivor or survivor family member then you are eligible to apply for an education grant.

Apply Today

 

June 25, 2022 11AM PDT
National Outreach Online Meeting

Pre-registration is required to attend our National Outreach Meeting. We will be discussing Healing Fund application forms and our other supports moving forward. Please Join us for this important meeting!

Register Here

Guest Speaker Dr. Nicholas Harrison

Dr. Harrison will speak on his personal experience with abuse and the lifelong act of healing from this trauma.

For more information his book Safe Space: A True Story of Faith, Betrayal, and the Power of the Force is for anyone who wants to understand how abuse continues to affect victims and their families long after the act.

Japan Fest is BACK July 23!

Japan Fest is back!  It will be held on Saturday, July 23 at the Broadmead Village Shopping Centre from 3 to 5 PM, in the courtyard by the fountain.  This summer matsuri (Japanese Festival) is a joint collaboration between the Victoria Nikkei Cultural Society and FUDO Japanese Restaurant.

Enjoy Japanese cultural performances by:

  • Uminari Taiko, Vancouver Island’s premier Japanese drumming ensemble:
  • Furusato Dancers displaying traditional folk dancing; and
  • the Soran Youth Dance Ensemble who will present contemporary Japanese dances.

Savour delicious Japanese festival food prepared by FUDO:

  • Spicy Scallops rolls;
  • Deep fried korokke (kabocha squash); and
  • Seaweed salad

There will be a raffle for prizes donated by the merchants of the shopping centre.

Proceeds from this event will help the VNCS support its cultural programs and groups.  It will allow the VNCS to fund  community initiatives such as the recently opened Gorge Park Pavilion and the restoration of Japanese gravestones at the Ross Bay Cemetery.  It will support the VNCS grant program which provides up to $500 in funding to other organizations or individuals who promote Japanese culture.

Come early to secure a good vantage point.  If the 2019 turnout is any indication, there will be a good turnout.  Japan Fest is free, a safe outdoor event and family friendly.  Don’t miss it!

 

80th Anniversary of Internment Luncheon (July 10th)

Please join us on July 10, 2022 at the 80th Anniversary of Internment Luncheon taking place at the Hotel Grand Pacific from 1:00 to 4:30. We are gathering to honour the few remaining seniors who experienced first hand the internment, dispossession and forced dispersal of Japanese Canadians during WW II. The theme of gathering is “Okagesamade” – We are who we are because of you. It is because of their strength, perseverance and stoic efforts in overcoming the hardships they endured, that we are here today. The cost of this Anniversary Luncheon will only be $15 (JC survivors are guests at no charge). This highly subsidized price is because of the generous grant we received from the JC Survivor Health & Wellness Fund. Tickets for this event can only be purchased through Eventbrite.

https://vncs-internment-luncheon.eventbrite.ca

Please join us in honouring our JC survivors on July 10, 2022.

Gorge Park Pavilion – GRAND OPENING (June 18th)

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The Grand Opening of the new Esquimalt Gorge Park Pavilion will take place on June 18, 2022 from 12:00 to 2:00 PM. Come see this beautiful Japanese inspired building which includes a historical display in the lobby which honours the Japanese Canadian history of the Gorge Park. In addition to the ribbon cutting ceremony, there will be tours of the building and the VNCS Heritage Committee will be conducting tours of the Japanese Garden. Also on hand will be representatives from the Landscapes of Injustice Project to give information about the historical display. The Grand Opening is open to the public.

BC Provincial Government Historic Announcement – Sat. May 21

The BC provincial government will be making an important historic announcement with the Japanese Canadian community on May 21, 2022. The announcement is in collaboration with local BC Japanese Canadian communities and the National Association of Japanese Canadians.

The VNCS is organizing a viewing gathering. We believe that this significant historic announcement is an event to be shared together with other members of the Japanese-Canadian community. Please join us at:

University of Victoria
David Strong Building, Room C130
Saturday, May 21, 2022
10:30 am to 12:00 pm

2022 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, Feb 27

The VNCS AGM will be held on Sunday, Feb 27, 2022, 10 AM to 12 PM. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, this will be a virtual gathering using Zoom. To attend the AGM you must register in advance for this meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Click here to REGISTER! Continue reading 2022 Annual General Meeting – Sunday, Feb 27

Board Nominations are now open for the 2022 Board of Directors

The Victoria Nikkei Cultural Society was formed in 1993 specifically to establish a sense of community for those of Japanese heritage and/or those interested in Japanese culture. Since its inception it has become a vibrant cultural organization that not only promotes Japanese and Japanese-Canadian cultural but undertakes advocacy work for the Japanese-Canadian community. We have become the go-to
organization for things Japanese in Victoria.

  • Do you have a passion for Japanese culture?
  • Do you feel strongly about standing up for Japanese-Canadian rights?
  • Are you concerned about the rise in anti-Asian racism?
  • Do you care about the future of the VNCS?

If so please consider joining the VNCS Board.

As a Board member you will help make decisions on what activities and actions the VNCS should undertake, help to shape the future of the VNCS and help build a strong Japanese-Canadian community. The time commitment is not onerous. We only meet 10 times a year. You don’t need to be of Japanese heritage to sit on our Board, just an individual who shares our vision and passion.

If you are interested please contact info@vncs.ca.

As the next Annual General Meeting (AGM) approaches, nominations for board members are now open and will be voted on at the AGM. You can download the form below, nominate yourself or someone else (be sure you talk to them first!), and then either email, or snail mail the nomination before the AGM.

VNCS Board Nomination Form:
https://www.vncs.ca/resources/VNCS-Board-Nomination-Form.pdf