| biography | Zennosuke Inouye was born Sept 13, 1884 in Asa-gun, Hiroshima ken, Japan. His father was Rihei Inouye, his wife was Hatsuno Morikawa.
Zennosuke arrived in Canada sponsored by his uncle in 1910. He worked in a coalmine and logging camps and later as a bookeeper and chauffeur to a Mr. Saiki, a real estate broker. Zennosuke was the first Japanese in BC to obtain a chauffeur's license.
When WWI broke out he tried to enlist in BC, but due to anti asian climate at the time, was turned down so enlisted in Calgary, joining the 13th CMR.
Later he served in the 52nd Battalion with the Princess Patricias. He suffered a wound on the left side of his chest at Vimy Ridge. After discharge on July 31, 1919, he acquired land through the Soldiers Settlement Board on which he started a farm in Surrey. It was 80 acres of wild land with rocks, stumps and many trees with no access road.
In May 1920, he married Hatsuno in Vancouver, daughter of Yasutaro and Tora Sakugawa, Mr. Saiki had arranged the marriage. Together they worked the land, carrying buckets of water for strawberry plants. Eventually they dug a well, had a large chicken house and huge 2-story barn. They also grew raspberries, potatoes and grain. Eventually he hauled off stones and was able to build a crude road access to Townline Road. He became a prominent community leader and president of the Surrey Berry Grower's Cooperative Association.
At the time of internment, Zennosuke was forcibly relocated to Hastings park, while his sons Art, Bob and Tom went to Vernon to work. Hatsuno and thier two daughters Beverly and Mary were sent to Kaslo. Later they all reunited in Vernon.
It was after the War, while living in Vernon, that he wrote 80 letters to the BC Security Commission, the Office of the Custodian, and Right Honorable McKenzie King, Director of the Veteran's Land Act, Tom Reid Alderman, Robert McMaster-Lawyer, from 1944-49 regarding his land on Sandell Road (now 128th Street & 96th Avenue). Eventually, he did get his land back in 1950 based on the fact that he too was a WWI Veteran and deserved the right to all other veterans regardless of race. He was the only man who recieved his land back in this manner.
Zennosuke died in Vancouver June 1957, Hatsuno died in Burnaby 1993, Art died 1990, Tom 1981, Bob 1995, Beverly 2009. |