The Japanese Canadian Heritage Committee (JCHC), a standing sub-committee of the Steveston Community Society (SCS), could receive up to $1.5 million in funding.
On Oct. 21, Richmond city council endorsed the scope of work of two projects proposed by the JCHC/SCS to support their application for two grants offered by the Japanese Canadian Legacies Fund.
These grants are aimed at supporting Japanese-Canadian legacy initiatives. Due to grant requirements, the city is not eligible to apply directly.
The funding will be used for improvement works at the Steveston Community Park and the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (JCCC).
The grants are intended to support projects that create spaces where Japanese Canadian heritage is honoured, while giving the public a place to gather and learn more about the history of Japanese Canadians, says a staff report.
The first grant is in the ‘Community Projects’ funding category, and offers a maximum grant opportunity of $500,000. The submission deadline for this grant is Oct. 30, 2024, and results will be announced on Dec. 12, 2024.
It will be used for improvement works at the Steveston Community Park, aiming to enhance the existing pathway system and unify the park’s commemorative cultural elements.
The majority of the work will focus on improvements to the central pathway that connects pedestrians between Fentiman Place and the Steveston Martial Arts Centre.
It will include constructing new pathways; widening and improving the existing one; integrating a common theme of paving, planting, seating, lighting and wayfinding elements; and introducing a new interpretive signage system with digital content.
The second grant is in the ‘Infrastructure’ funding category, and offers a maximum grant opportunity of $1 million. The submission deadline for this grant is Dec. 1, 2024, and results will be announced on Feb. 14, 2025.
It will be used to enhance the infrastructure of the JCCC in Steveston.
The proposed scope of work includes an extension of the kitchen and dining area, as well as extending accessible pathways from the JCCC to the Steveston Martial Arts Centre.
The kitchen will be enlarged to about 225 square feet; new commercial refrigeration, dishwasher appliances, counter space and storage space will be installed; dining area seating will increase from 25 to 45; HVAC upgrades will be made, and more.
At Monday's council meeting, Coun. Bill McNulty stated he was happy to see this initiative in the works, highlighting the $15,000 contribution of the Japanese Canadian community in the construction of the Steveston Community Centre in 1957.
“We do know the contributions of the Japanese here, and because it is a legacy thing, it's tying things together down there, and I think it’s gonna be extremely positive,” he said.
City council will now work with the JCHC and SCS to develop applications to the fund.
The fund is administered by the Japanese Canadian Legacies Society and was set up by the provincial government to address “the enduring intergenerational impact that B.C. government actions had on the Japanese Canadian community,” says the staff report.
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