Inouye Park

This 17.8 hectare (44 acre) natural area park is south of the original Inouye farm property, 80 acres near 128 Street and 96 Avenue. The park is one of Surrey’s nature preserves and habitat corridors, and connects the neighbourhood as a central greenway perfect for walking, jogging, or cycling.

Naming the park after the Inouye family recognizes their contributions to the community, their resilience, and more broadly, to acknowledge the many Surrey residents of Japanese descent who lived here and were forcibly removed by the order of the Canadian government. Additional heritage features will be added to the park over time.

History

Zennosuke Inouye was born in Japan in 1884 and arrived in Canada in 1900. After serving for Canada in WWI, Inouye acquired 80 acres of farmland near today’s 128 Street and 96 Avenue.  He married Hatsuno Morikawa in 1920, and over the next two decades they established a productive farm producing strawberries, raspberries, poultry, potatoes, and grain.  Inouye served as President of the Surrey Berry Growers’ Cooperative Association. The couple had five children.

During WWII, the Canadian government forcibly removed all citizens (over 20,000) of Japanese descent away from the BC coast. The Inouyes were dispersed and interned between Kaslo and Vernon, BC. After the war, Inouye wrote 80 letters to Canadian government officials, demanding the return of his land. He is believed to be the only Japanese Canadian from Surrey to have his land returned. He died in 1957, while his wife died in 1993.