June 4, 1946 (20th Parliament, 2nd Session)

Mr. THOMAS REID (New Westminster):

Mr. Speaker, I desire to lay on the table a petition signed by thousands of residents in British Columbia urging the repatriation of Japanese. This petition comes from the Japanese repatriation league, and reads:
To the Honourable the House of Commons in Parliament assembled:
The petition of the undersigned of the province of British Columbia humbly sheweth:
That your petitoners view with ' alarm the fact that approximately two-thirds of the persons of the Japanese race in Canada are still in the province of British Columbia and that a very small number have been resettled east of the Rocky mountains on a permanent basis.
That your petitioners are unalterably opposed to persons of the Japanese race being permitted in the said province which is a natural defence area for Canada in the event of war on the Pacific.
Wherefore your petitioners humbly pray that your honourable house may be pleased to enact such measures as may be necessary to make certain:-
1. That persons of the Japanese race shall not be permitted to reside in the province of British Columbia.
2. That all persons of the Japanese race not permanently resettled east of the Rocky mountains are repatriated to Japan or resettled in

Labour Conditions
territory in the Pacific ocean under the jurisdiction of the united nations or whatever international organization may be founded.
And your petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray.
Dated the 1st day of March, A.D. 1945.
This is only one of a number of petitions that will come to the house.