Chinese Construction Workers on the Canadian Pacific Railway National Historic Event

Chinese construction workers on the Canadian Pacific Railway were designated a national historic event in 1977.

Historical importance: Role of the Chinese workers in building the Canadian Pacific Railway.

Commemorative plaque: Yale, British ColumbiaFootnote 1

 

Black and white photograph of workers at their camp site
Chinese camp (Canadian Pacific Railway), Kamloops, British Columbia, 1886
© Edouard Deville / Library and Archives Canada / C-021990
Black and white photograph of workers at their camp site
Chinese camp (Canadian Pacific Railway), Kamloops, British Columbia, 1886
© Edouard Deville / Library and Archives Canada / C-021983

 

Chinese Construction Workers on the Canadian Pacific Railway

In the early 1880's contractor Andrew Onderdonk brought thousands of labourers from China to help build the Pacific Railway through the mountains of British Columbia. About three-quarters of the men who worked on the section between the Pacific and Craigellachie were Chinese. Although considered excellent workers, they received only a dollar a day, half the pay of a white worker. Hundreds of Chinese died from accidents or illness, for the work was dangerous and living conditions poor. Those who remained in Canada when the railway was completed securely established the basis of British Columbia's Chinese community.

Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada
English plaque inscription

 

A train going down the tracks
Canadian Pacific Railway "Pacific" type steam locomotive engine 2303, ca. 1930
© Gordon J. Darling / Library and Archives Canada / PA-062074
Workers on the railway
Big Pic Bridge, Canadian Pacific Railway, ca. 1884 - 1885.
© Library and Archives Canada / C-020300

The National Program of Historical Commemoration relies on the participation of Canadians in the identification of places, events and persons of national historic significance. Any member of the public can nominate a topic for consideration by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.

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