Series consists of central registry files dealing with all aspects of the administration of the Japanese Division including such subjects as placement and relocation plans, housing centres, foreign policy, segregation and repatriation, naturalization, censorship of mail, etc. Internees, Defence of Canada Regulations, Prisoners of War and refugees are also covered in this series (RG27,Vols. 640-662, 1527-1529).
The series also contains correspondence, memoranda, reports, and newspaper clippings. These records were formerly a part of RG36-27 and are arranged by files numbered 1 to 3009 (RG36-27, vols. 1-44).
Canada. Dept. of Labour. Japanese Division : The British Columbia Security Commission (BCSC) was established by Orders in Council PC 1665 and 1666 on 4 March 1942 for the purpose of evacuating persons of Japanese origin from certain strategic areas of British Columbia which had been declared "protected" by PC 365 of 16 January 1942. Acting under the direction of the Minister of Labour, the BCSC was also charged with the task of evacuating all persons of the Japanese race from certain strategic areas of British Columbia and of arranging for their settlement elsewhere.
The Commission consisted of three commissioners: Mr. Austin Taylor, a well-known businessman of Vancouver, as chairman; Mr. F.J. Mead, Assistant Commissioner of the RCMP; and Mr. John Shirras, Assistant Commissioner of the British Columbia Provincial Police. The order also provided for an Advisory Committee, consisting of twenty British Columbia citizens from different walks of life throughout the province. Authorization was given the Commission to make by-laws, to acquire whatever staff was needed, to hold property and enter into contracts, and to arrange with other departments for use of Provincial or Crown grant lands. Moreover, wide powers were given to the Commission in financing the evacuation programme, but any expenditure of 5,000 or more required the approval of the federal cabinet.
Sections ten and eleven of the Order in Council established the "duties and powers of the Commission." Section ten stated the following provisions: "It shall be the duty of the Commission to plan, supervise and direct the evacuation from the protected areas of British Columbia of all persons of the Japanese race (10.1); For the purpose of performing the duties aforesaid the Commission shall determine the time and order of the evacuation of such persons, the mode of transport, and all matters relative to the placement of such persons (10.2); The Commission shall provide for the housing, feeding, care and protection of such persons in so far as the same may be necessary (10.3); A plan or plans for the evacuation and placement aforesaid shall be submitted to the Minister, and shall be put into operation by the Commission when approved by the Minister (10.4)". Section eleven stated the following: "The Commission shall have power to require by order any person of the Japanese race, in any protected area in British Columbia, to remain at his place of residence or to leave his place of residence and to proceed to any place within or without the protected area at such time and in such manner as the Commission and to proceed to any place within or without the protected area at such time and in such manner as the Commission may prescribe in such order, or to order the detention of any such person, and any such order may be enforced by any person nominated by the Commission so to do (11.2); The Commission may make orders respecting the conduct, activities and discipline of any person evacuated under the provisions of the Regulation (11.2). There were several additional Orders in Council passed which clarified and expanded the authority and functions granted the Commission. By Order in Council P.C. 2483, 27 March 1942, further "protective control" was given over the movement of the Japanese, while P.C. 2541, 30 March 1942, permitted the employment of Japanese on public projects and provided relief for the indigent. Order in Council P.C. 8173 issued on 11 September 1942, extended authority over all Japanese, regardless of residence, and finally on 21 April 1942 by P.C. 3213 the Commission was empowered to enter into agreements with various provinces for the placement of the Japanese.
The evacuation was completed early in 1943 and the Commission was dissolved by Order in Council P.C. 946, 5 February 1943. The powers of the Commission reverted to the Department of Labour, or more particularly the Japanese Division of the Department, and for administrative purposes were vested in a Commissioner of Japanese placement, with head office at Vancouver. The Commissioner and his staff were to place all employable Japanese in useful work by relocating them singly or in family groups, where essential industries had urgent labour shortages; provide adequate welfare for the unemployables, aged and inform; and ensure for the children at least a minimum Canadian education. As a counterpart to operations in British Columbia, the Japanese Division was created within the Department of Labour in Ottawa. As of 31 March 1948, all orders made under the wartime emergency legislation giving authority for the exercise of controls over the movement and placement of persons of Japanese descent in Canada were revoked. The federal government entered into agreements at this time with British Columbia, Alberta, and Manitoba, to provide for the welfare of the Japanese people resident in these provinces who had been evacuated from coastal British Columbia as a war emergency measure. These agreements expired on 31 March 1950, and the field office in Vancouver which administered the project was closed on 31 March 1951. RG27 and RG36-27 General Inventory
