Tatsuro Buck Suzuki: Advocate, Activist & Environmentalist, Podcast Ep. 24
From union organizing in Steveston to postwar civil rights and environmental advocacy, “Buck” Suzuki’’s contributions spanned decades and sectors. A foundation in his name continues his legacy today. In this episode of On the Line, we celebrate the life of this pioneer who spent his life advocating for the West Coast fishing community: first as a young liaison between Japanese Canadians and a white-dominated industry, then as a strong trade unionist, and finally, as an early environmental activist, fighting to protect salmon habitat.
Publication date: February 5, 2024
Podcast length: 34:26
Hosted by: Rod Mickleburgh
Research and writing by: Patricia Wejr and Rod Mickleburgh
Production by: John Mabbott
Born in 1915 on Oikawa Island, Suzuki was raised in the fishing communities of the Fraser River and began working as a fisherman by age nine.
Prior to the Second World War, Suzuki acted as a liaison between Japanese Canadian fishermen and unions that often excluded or marginalized them. He was involved with early labour organizations such as the Pacific Coast Fishermen’s Union and later the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union (UFAWU). Despite structural barriers, including lack of voting rights and company control over workers’ housing and employment, Suzuki worked to promote labour solidarity while navigating tensions within and between communities.
The episode draws from a 1976 oral history interview with Suzuki, highlighting the impact of Japanese Canadian internment during the war. Suzuki was one of the few who managed to sell his boat before federal seizure and later served as an intelligence officer with the British Army in Asia. Upon his return to Canada, he defied restrictions that barred Japanese Canadians from resettling on the coast and re-entered the fishing industry.
In the postwar years, Suzuki played a critical role in facilitating the reentry of Japanese Canadian fishermen into West Coast fisheries. He collaborated with union leaders such as Homer Stevens to confront ongoing prejudice and secure equitable conditions for returning fishers. Suzuki also became active in fisheries regulation, strike support, and ultimately environmental protection. His concern for marine habitat degradation led to the founding of the T Buck Suzuki Environmental Foundation in 1981, which continues to advocate for ocean health and sustainable fisheries.
Through archival recordings and reflections from his relative Lorene Oikawa, the episode situates Suzuki as a multifaceted leader whose life intersected with major developments in labour, civil rights, and environmental movements in British Columbia.