Essay Example on 3 Historic Memorial Parks to Visit and Remember

Introduction

Some events happen in history that has to be recognized and remembered in the future. To have such kind of events remembered, some volunteers come up with proposals of the memorials that they intend to create with supporting history behind the particular sites. The sites may be to remember people or events that were remarkable, and they think they should be recognized. This the reason why memorial parks exist with exciting stories to hear about. This paper seeks to write about three Historical Sites in Vancouver, their location, and the story leading to their creation.

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Komagata Maru Memorial

There was a ship that sailed in 1914 and ended up in a coal harbor having about 376 passengers on board. The ship stopped to acquire some essentials in Hong Kong. They all had an accent that proved to be South Asian, and after they arrived, they were not allowed to proceed as a result of one federal law that required immigrants to continue to Canada. The Ship Charterer questioned the racist laws in Canada during that time. As a result, the people were denied the chance for Indians to come to this part, which was not expected at all. When the ship back to Calcutta, 20 people who were in the ship ended up being killed by soldiers from the British Army (Smith, 2010).

The memorial park is said to come up as a result of this incident; therefore, arrangements began regarding the various designs suggested for the park. The men in the ship were prepared and had their best clothes ready for the mission. However, before arrival, things changed, and the chances for survival while on the ship was minimal. The story about Komagata Maru is a sad one but helps to remember the events during that time. There are various exhibits like; when the 376 men challenged the injustice that takes the form of a narrative, art in Komagata Maru which is explanatory about the history of migration from Asia to West Coast of Canada. Also, there is a video and audio about the Komagata Maru story. There is an artifact that remained from the Komagata Maru. It is a brick known as "Hindoo Missile." This also traces the historical context of Vancouver, including racial discrimination and politics during that time (Klassen, 2014).

Japanese Canadian War Memorial in Stanley Park

The park is located at Vancouver in the Stanley Park. The memorial park acts as a remembrance of pan-Canadian. The groups of people involved in the military service had to forego their own goals for the good of the people. One major even that signified their dedication was the Japanese Canadian War. Therefore the Japanese Canadian War Memorial was set-up to remember the events during that time. It was after the First World War that there was a need for change in the right to vote which the soldiers also pushed for. This made them be the first to acquire the advantage one of the things that the memorial helps to remember (Dick, 2014).

There is a monument at the center of Stanley Park that serves as a reminder of the Japanese Canadians that fought on behalf of Canada. The statue is constructed with donations from private persons, and the base has a list of the various battles which the Japanese fought. There is also a stone column that has Japanese style lamps that re to stay lit until eternity. However, the light put off during Pearl Harbor and the war with Japan that led to the imprisonment of the Japanese Canadians in 1942. The lamp was lit again in1985 where Sergeant Masumi Mitsui attended the ceremony to re-light the fire. After this, there was also a complete restoration of the monument. The restoration was made complete with the help of volunteers and grant funding (Vancouver Heritage Foundation, 2019).

Nitobe Memorial Garden

The Garden lies in the British Columbia University. It would be easy to pass it unnoticed because it is at the topmost part of the University. Nitobe Memorial Garden is maintained and maintains the same appearance through all the seasons from spring, summer, autumn, and winter. During the winter, the environment is exceptional because one can feel the stillness of its trees; the air is fresh and has a calming effect on the body of a person. The garden is one of the top five outside Japan. The garden was made in honor of Inazo Nitobe who was a well-known crofter, an educationalist and at the same time a scholar and had the intention of acting as the bridge between North America and Japan (Lee, 2019).

Considering the size of the garden, what is I it is imposing to the eyes to the extent that from the moment that a person enters it, leaving the outstanding environment in the garden. A lot of effort is placed into maintaining the condition of the garden all through the year, and the small size is favorable to this kind of maintenance. Some rocks and plants are made to have some local Japanese effect on the garden. There are a variety of paths in the garden that all help to connect to the same place, and all have a similar appearance to the zen-like effect. There is a tea house which is the central element in the park. Tea activities and ceremonies are performed in the places during the summer. The various areas signify the hospitability like the garden, a waiting room, and a waiting bench all in the garden. These are features that do not exist in all the gardens that come to mind when a person thinks about the gardens. There are multiple stone lanterns in the garden. The lanterns exist I four main types; buried lanterns, pedestal lanterns, snow viewing lanterns, and the small portable lanterns. There are also six bridges that are said to help in keeping evil spirits because they are in the form of zigzag (Lee, 2019).

The garden is maintained to act as a significant landmark in the history of the Japanese Canadian community. The Committee in charge of the garden together with the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden team played a part in the designation of the garden and its management through an application to the Historic Sites and also the Monument Board of Canada. This will help to ensure that the garden (The University of British Columbia, 2019).

Works Cited

Dick, L. Sergeant Masumi Mitsui, and the Japanese Canadian War Memorial. (2010). The Canadian Historical Review, Vol. 91 p 435-463. Retrieved from http://muse.jhu.edu/article/393959/pdf

Image 1. Retrieved from https://live.staticflickr.com/2898/14301264086_3312594cb6_b.jpg

Image 2. Retrieved from http://spacing.ca/vancouver/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/11/Japanese-Canadian-Monument-gardenclub.ca_.jpg

Image 3. Retrieved from https://donvaughan.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/nitobe.jpg

Klassen, K. 100 Years: How the Komagata Maru changed Canada. (2014). Retrieved from https://www.vancourier.com/news/100-years-how-the-komagata-maru-changed-canada-1.1061303

Lee, T. Experience Winter Tranquility at Vancouver's Nitobe Memorial Garden. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.insidevancouver.ca/2017/01/26/experience-winter-tranquility-at-vancouvers-nitobe-memorial-garden/

Smith, C. Memorial in the works for Komagata Maru. (2010). Retrieved from https://www.straight.com/article-347252/vancouver/memorial-works-komagata-maru

The University of British Columbia. UBC Botanical Garden. (2019). Retrieved from https://botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/visit/membership/

Vancouver Heritage Foundation. Places of Remembrance. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.vancouverheritagefoundation.org/learn-with-us/discover-vancouvers-heritage/places-of-remembrance/