Submitted by Ron Kadowaki
My father, Tadashi Kadowaki, along with my grandfather, Katsuki Kadowaki, were commercial salmon gillnet fishermen at North Pacific Cannery on the Skeena River before the Second World War. With the internment, their boats were confiscated and sold by the government. My father was a young 21 year old fisherman just starting what he thought was going to be a long and prosperous career following in the footsteps of his father. I have the confiscation records that show what their boats were apparently worth and what they were sold for.
Grandfather Katsuki Kadowaki’s boat confiscation record for KK III
Father Tadashi Kadowaki’s boat confiscation record for Fortune Maid
After the war, the family ended up in Montreal since they couldn’t go back to the west coast until 1949. My grandfather went back to fish for North Pacific Cannery in the early fifties on an old company rental boat, and soon after they rented him one of their new boats, the NP 322. My father never went back as he had met my mother and started a family in Montreal. As their oldest grandson, I was fortunate to deckhand for my grandparents for 8 fishing seasons starting in 1965 during which my grandfather taught me all of his tricks for being a successful river fisherman. I skippered the NP 322 with my brother Doug as a deckhand for 2 more seasons and then Doug took our other brother Mike as a deckhand for 2 more seasons. That ended almost 60 years as commercial salmon fishermen on the Skeena River for the Kadowaki family.
Although my parents and grandparents suffered tremendous loss as a result of the internment, they never passed on any anger or resentment to me or my siblings. They always encouraged us to do our best in our endeavours. Unfortunately, it’s only after their passing and as I’ve gotten older that I’ve come to more fully appreciate their resilience and the gift they passed on to us by parenting us as they did.
Ron is currently living in Nanaimo (semi-retired) and started on a long career as a salmon biologist with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans the year after he stopped fishing.
Photos of Ron’s dad, Tadashi, fishing before the war. It is not known if this is the same boat as in the confiscation ledger. Photo credit: Ron Kadowaki family collection
Records of the Fishing Boat Ledger of confiscated boats can be found through The Ledger on the www.witnesstoloss.ca
website.
The details of Katsuki Kadowaki’s boat can be found there
I have read your stories and feel the loss that your family had. My grandparents and parents lost all their private possessions and freedom and interned in Tashme,interior B.C. Father was separated from family with mother and 4 small children ages, 1,5, 6 and 8 who were sent to a animal barn for a few months. Father and others returned from remote areas and built the shacks. After the war ended in 1945/46, the parents moved east along with other relatives to start their new life to work on huge farms. Hard work and education was done and a good start to a better life.
Hi Judy,
Thank you very much for your reply and empathy. I appreciate you sharing your families history and hardship, but also the resilience and perseverance that has given our generation a better life. Be well.
Mike
Wonderful story. Ron is a high school and Sunday School friend. I remember his family well, his parents were kind and generous. Good memories.
I’ve also discovered these archives and it is very useful in my genealogical research.
Hello Glenn,
Thank you for your nice feedback and great to hear of your connection to Ron.
Mike
Great to hear from you Glenn. Who knew about all that our parents went through before we came along. The research we’re doing now about their past I believe is a tribute and show of gratitude to them.
Thank you for sharing your family’s story…at once heartbreaking and full of love. My grandfather was a troller on the West Coast, and I grew up here. Your parents were so wise and strong to raise you without bitterness, knowing that you could build a better future for yourself when filled with hope. What a wonderful example they have set. We all need to adopt some of that resilience and love as we work to protect nature, and our communities.
Thanks Holly. You’re quite right about how our parents raised us.
Thank you for sharing your story. It is very moving and emotional to read, and inspiring that you’re forebears could contain their anger, resentment & huge disappointment enough to survive those times, the injustice, the damages of war, and move your blood into a better future. Again, thank you. I was a troller not a net fisherman, always thought the net fishermen understood salmon in a very different way than I did. Much respect & good wishes. Leif.
Thanks Leif. You’re right about having a different understanding of salmon that you were trying to catch while feeding in marine waters versus those that we were trying to catch as they were preparing to migrate up the river.
Great reminder Ron. I’ve often wondered how many people ever compare the treatment given the Japanese fishers of the time and their remarkable resilience in the years that followed with our indigenous fishers.
Perhaps some lessons learned Bob, but I wouldn’t suggest equating the experiences.