Sunshine Valley is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...
consisting of cabins,
tiny homes, and RV parks on the
Crowsnest Highway between
the town of Hope (NW) and the entrance to
Manning Park in the
Cascade Mountains
The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as many of those in the ...
of
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
. The community has its own volunteer fire department (SVVFD), recreation centre, heated outdoor pool, and playground. As of 2021, the population of Sunshine Valley is 208.
History
During World War II, Sunshine Valley was named
Tashme. The area was used as a
Japanese Canadian internment camp. Opened September 8, 1942, it was designed to house 500 families, making it one of the largest and last camps in B.C., and was located just outside the 100-mile "quarantine" zone from which all Japanese Canadians were removed.
Men housed in the camp were employed in the construction of the highway during the war.
After the war, the site was sold off and has continued in existence as a proposed Boy's Town, the Allison Lumber Company (a combined lumber and mine venture) and then a small campground and recreational community. It served as the basetown for the small
Silvertip Ski Area which was located at the head of Tearse Creek, a tributary of the
Upper Sumallo River which flows north into the town from the south and upon entering the town, turns southeast and enters Manning Park. In Hope, there is a
Tashme Friendship Garden in memory of the camp and its residents.
In popular culture
The Tashme internment camp is one of the settings in the 2018 novel ''Floating City'' by author
Kerri Sakamoto.
Climate
See also
*
List of internment camps
*
Judo in British Columbia
References
{{reflist
''Hastings Park to Tashme 100 Mile Journey'', Mike Gerard, ''The Bulletin, a Journal of Japanese Canadian community, history and culture'', August 3, 2008
External links
TASHME: Life in a Japanese Canadian Internment Camp, 1942-1946Discover Nikkei Website: Description of TashmeDiscover Nikkei Website: Photo collection
(Nos. 4, 5 and 8 are of Tashme)
Designated places in British Columbia
Unincorporated settlements in British Columbia
Canadian Cascades
Ghost towns in British Columbia
Internment of Japanese Canadians
World War II internment camps in Canada