During World War II, the Canadian government forcibly relocated and interned Japanese Canadians, seizing their property and assets. This was done without due process and solely on the basis of their ethnic heritage. The internment lasted from 1942 to 1949, and resulted in the displacement of over 20,000 Japanese Canadians, the majority of whom were Canadian citizens. The government also forcibly removed and interned Japanese Canadians from the British Columbia coast to internment camps in the interior of British Columbia and other parts of Canada.

Japanese Canadians were interned during World War II, specifically from 1942 to 1949. The internment process began in 1942, shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, when the Canadian government declared a state of emergency and passed the War Measures Act. This allowed the government to seize the property and assets of Japanese Canadians without due process, and to forcibly relocate them to internment camps located in the interior of British Columbia and other parts of Canada.

The internment process was carried out by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Canadian military. Japanese Canadians were given very little notice before being forced to leave their homes, and were given only a few days to sell their possessions or abandon them. They were then transported to internment camps, where they were held in poor conditions and forced to do manual labor. Families were often separated, with men, women, and children being sent to different camps.

During the internment, the Canadian government also forcibly removed Japanese Canadians from the British Columbia coast, in an effort to prevent them from potentially aiding the enemy. The government also sold the property and assets of Japanese Canadians at auctions, where they were often sold for a fraction of their value.

After the war, the internment camps were closed and Japanese Canadians were released, but they were not allowed to return to the coast. Many of them faced difficulty in rebuilding their lives and communities due to the loss of their property and assets.

In addition to the internment of Japanese Canadians during World War II, their fishing boats and equipment were also seized by the Canadian government. The government justified the seizure of the fishing fleets by claiming that they could be used by the enemy in case of an invasion of the British Columbia coast.

As a result, the entire fishing fleet of Japanese Canadians, which consisted of about 350 boats and employed thousands of people, was taken away. This had a devastating impact on the Japanese Canadian fishing communities, as it was their main source of income and livelihood. Many Japanese Canadian fisherman were interned, leaving their families without any means of support.

The seized boats and equipment were sold at auction, and the proceeds were used to cover the costs of the internment. However, the Japanese Canadian fishing communities did not receive any compensation for the loss of their boats and equipment, and were not able to rebuild their fishing fleets after the war, further exacerbating their economic struggles.

A Japanese submarine, I-26 did attack the Estevan Point Lighthouse on Vancouver Island, British Columbia on June 20, 1942. It is considered the only enemy attack on Canadian soil during World War II. The Japanese submarine surfaced and fired several shells at the lighthouse, causing some damage to the structure and surrounding area, but no one was hurt in the attack. The attack was considered a propaganda move and it was intended to show that the Japanese Navy could reach North America if they wanted.

The attack on Estevan Point Lighthouse was the only direct attack on the Canadian mainland during WWII and was seen as a demonstration of Japan's naval capabilities, rather than a strategic move. The attack caused minimal damage and no casualties, but it did serve to heighten anxiety and fear among Canadians about the possibility of future attacks.