Remembering George Oikawa

I first met George in 1974 and in the ensuing 33 years he never wavered from his total commitment to achieving Nikkei Place.

Together with Joe Yamauchi and the late Ken Matsune we had just completed a year-long survey study of Nikkei communities in Greater Vancouver, Kamloops, Vernon, Kelowna, Midway, Greenwood and New Denver. The study identified the need for a small seniors home on Powell Street, a larger home not on Powell Street, a seniors home in the Okanagan (which became Hinode Home in Kelowna) and a community cultural centre. George read the study, accepted these findings and volunteered to head the JCCA Building Committee to realize these facilities.

Utilizing his real estate expertise, he identified the Richmond Hotel on Powell Street and negotiated the purchase of it. He also assisted with funding applications for renovations, and Sakura-so opened in 1976.

It was then that I became aware of George’s extensive contacts at Vancouver City Hall. After the Opening Ceremony of Sakura-so, then-Alderman Mike Harcourt asked me to drive him back to City Hall. On the way, Mike advised me $25,000 was still left for funding community projects and strongly suggested Sakura-so apply for it. When I got home I immediately phoned George. He must have made a presentation to City Council because shortly thereafter Sakura-so received a cheque for the full amount.

Because of George’s contacts at City Hall, the Nikkei Community was invited to be a potential sponsor of a 120 Unit Care Home in False Creek. With only a week to respond, I contacted Shag Ando, who was one of the Interviewers of the 1974 Needs Study and we phoned as many care homes as possible to identify Japanese Canadian Seniors needing this kind of facility. Less than 20 seniors were found. George felt that the Nikkei Community could not justify sponsoring a care home in which over 100 of the residents would not be from our community, so he declined the invitation from City Hall.

George then succeeded in having the Nikkei community being awarded Enclave 14 in Champlain Heights for sponsoring a seniors housing project. This was to be the larger home identified in the 1974 Study. During negotiations with Provincial and Federal Funding Authorities, tentative approval was obtained for enlarging the social facilities required in the home to be a centre for the entire community. This project would have been the first Nikkei Place. Unfortunately, while we were finalizing our funding application, the NDP Government called an early election and lost to the Social Credit Party who immediately announced that there would be no more funding for seniors homes in Vancouver. Enclave 14 was then awarded to the Royal Arch Masons who built the present care home there. I believe this was in 1977.

By the mid-1980’s, the concept of locating all of the facilities on one site was adopted by the Building Committee under the leadership of Robert Banno and Mark Ando. George turned his attention to finding appropriate property. He contacted Marathon Realty and we met with the youthful Gordon Campbell. Gordon asked if the community would be interested in sponsoring the high-rise tower allocated for social housing in their Coal Harbour project. However, we quickly realized that while it was physically possible to stack seniors housing, care facilities and a cultural centre on top of each other, it was not certain which one would receive funding first. So George had to decline Gordon’s offer. Similarly, George looked into the possibility of sponsoring a multi-storey building in the Carling Brewery development at Arbutus and 12th Avenue, but the problem was still the same.

Then in 1992, I got a call from George. His first words were “Now don’t jump to conclusions, but hear me out first.” He said three acres of land were available to the community, but not in Vancouver, it was in Burnaby. He really didn’t need a response from me because he knew that now each building could be proceeded with separately as their funds became available, which is exactly what happened. With the purchase of this present site, and the involvement of many people, and the assistance of Cathy Makihara and Sam Yamamoto, George devoted all his energies to realizing Nikkei Place. And well after it was completed, he continued on with all of the many management and maintenance issues.

It is very clear to me that the Nikkei community owes a debt of gratitude to George, as I do myself, and I shall miss him very much.

Kenneth Takeuchi