This is an archived event from Culture Days 2022.
Images
An Abuse of Power: Vernon's Internment Camp
Digital
Tour Self-guided History & heritageDate and time
This activity runs the duration of Culture Days.
Location
Vernon, BC
Access
Free.
Offered in English.
About
On the grounds of the W.L. Seaton High School there once stood an internment camp that imprisoned people who had committed no crime beyond being born in the wrong country. During the First World War hundreds of German and Austro-Hungarian citizens were held here against their will. Sometimes entire families were interned here for up to six years.
In this tour we will dive into the story of the Vernon internment camp. We'll see how Canadian society could turn on these people so rapidly, and how the government twisted itself into knots to find a proper legal justification for imprisoning people who had committed no crime. We'll learn about the conditions of life in this camp, and the fate of those who were dispatched to horrible construction camps in the mountains. We'll see how the prisoners came to cope with their circumstances, and how they resisted their mistreatment by the guards.
**Route**
This is a brief tour that winds around the grounds of Macdonald Park before returning to its original starting point. Macdonald Park is an operating school so it is advisable to take the tour outside of regular school hours.
Links
- Website onthisspot.ca
- Download App apps.apple.com
Organizer
On This Spot
The On This Spot app takes people on guided walking tours through the history that surrounds them.
At each stop on their journey users will find themselves standing on the spot a historic photo was taken. They can view a then and now photo comparison, use the built in camera to create their own, and read about local history and how it ties into the broader human experience.
Based in Vancouver, On This Spot is working with heritage, tourism, and business organizations across Canada to expand the app's coverage.