Theressa Takasaki

Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre Co-rep

Theressa began volunteering with the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre in 2004 and joined the Archives and Collections Committee at its inception in 2010.  Over the past 7 years, Theressa has contributed to the formation of an active Archives Volunteer group, assisted with the planning and design of the Moriyama Nikkei Heritage Centre and has curated many exhibits and displays throughout the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, eventually moving from a volunteer position to a staff position.  Theressa holds a B.A. from Trent University and a Museum Management and Curatorship Graduate Certificate from Sir Sandford Fleming College.
Theressa’s interest in Japanese Canadian History began with her introduction to the Japanese-Canadian community in Toronto.  After hearing the stories of friends and family members, she began wondering why this was not something that she had learned more about in school.  She vividly remembers seeing a photograph in her history textbook of people leaning out of a train, with two sentences explaining the photograph and is now committed to ensuring that there is better representation of Japanese-Canadian Internment in Ontario schools.