Surrey Approves Heritage Sculptures Honouring Japanese-Canadians

Surrey City Council has approved the installation of two heritage art sculptures by Ontario artist Kellen Hatanaka in Newton’s R.A. Nicholson and Inouye Parks. Valued at $280,000 and fully funded by the Japanese Canadian Legacies Society (JCLS), the artworks honour the contributions and struggles of early Japanese-Canadian farmers in the Strawberry Hill area. “Stone Fruit,” to be placed at R.A. Nicholson Park, symbolizes community loss during internment, while a rural mailbox sculpture at Inouye Park pays tribute to local farmer Mr. Inouye’s fight to reclaim his land. The initiative is part of a broader effort to preserve and share Japanese-Canadian heritage in Surrey.