Motorists travelling along a section of Highway 6 will be reminded of a dark chapter in Canadian history.
A plaque was recently unveiled on Monashee Mountain, 24 kilometres east of Cherryville, to recognize those individuals interned at a camp there during the First World War.
“We must learn the lessons of history. To truly remember and honour these people, we must never forget the root cause of the injustice perpetrated upon them, injustice that continues to afflict our world even today,” sad Wayne Cunneyworth, with the Cherryville Historical Society.
“We must understand that the enemies of a just society cannot be characterized by a person’s country of origin, language, colour, religion or other easy generalization. We must resist bigotry in all its forms.”
People were placed into camps because they came from nations Canada was at war with, and not because they posed a threat.
“We remember all of those who were unjustly treated and forced to work for the profit of their jailors,” said Andrea Malysh, of the Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund.
“This plaque represents an important milestone in remembering, commemorating and in recognizing this historic injustice suffered by thousands of innocent people.”
The plaque was installed by the Cherryville Historical Society with the financial support of the Endowment Council of the Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund.