REBUILDING A GRANDFATHER’S DREAM

Ohama's maternal grandfather (Otokichi Murakami) immigrated to Canada from Japan in the early 1900's from Innoshima, Hiroshima province. He settled in Steveston, B.C. where he built wooden boats and fished for salmon until he was forced to leave his business behind and relocate his family in 1942.
During the 1980's, Ohama was unsuccessful in her search for a pre-WWII fish boat constructed by her grandfather. Subsequently, Linda purchased the next best thing: a registered, pre‐war working wooden fish boat (registered as the Kauka Lani) built in the 1930's by another Japanese issei boat builder.
This was the beginning of a four year project: the re‐construction and refurbishing of this fish boat. During the process, she did extensive historical and personal research, completed a series of art works based on the re‐building, and actively participated in the reconstruction and discovering a passion for working with wood and hand tools.
Under a new name and owner, the Kauka Lani is still active on the Pacific waters of British Columbia.