The last interment camp built.
Over 1,000 Japanese Canadians were interned at the government-leased farm of Emilie and Konstantine Popoff during World War II. This was the last internment camp built, completed in 1943. Through forced labour from the internees themselves, nearly 100 buildings were constructed including family cabins, dormitories, mess halls, and a school. Large bunkhouses initially housed work crews and were later adapted for the elderly, bachelors, and single residents, with one eventually converted into a school. The camp had running water, gardens, and communal facilities. Notably, the camp had a judo dojo, led by Genichiro Nakahara, ensuring the continuation of judo practice for the community which helped create a sense of normalcy and community throughout the camp, similarly to others in the area. The camp was dismantled in 1946, and the Popoff family returned to find the land in disrepair. Today, there are no visible signs of the camp in the now-farmed fields, but the legacy of the Popoff Internment Camp endures through the stories preserved by surviving families and commemorated at the Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre in New Denver.
