Historical events within Canada, as well as many other countries, are frequently portrayed from a one sided perspective. We like to view ourselves and our fellow Canadians as kind and noble, when that may not always be the case. Wendy S. Hesford and Brenda Jo. Brueggemann explore this idea of seeing our country in only the positive light, stating that “the ways in which we remember major events in our history can also mask the history of racial and ethnic discrimination” (160). Canadians are often viewed as peaceful, friendly, and polite, and that is the kind of reputation or image that we Canadians strive to keep. Because of this wish to be seen in a positive light, we tend to remember only the best aspects of our Canadian history, occasionally
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In 1871, the colony of British Columbia joined the country under the condition that this coast to coast railway would be built (“Building the Trans-Canada Railroad”). The railway stretches from Montreal all the way to Vancouver which, at the time of its completion, opened a whole new world of opportunities for transportation and the trading of goods of all kinds. The new railway strengthened the economy immensely, helping Canadians who were having trouble making money after the Gold Rush. It allowed people from all over the country to be able to access other parts of Canada with ease. The photograph of Driving the Last Spike freezes an important moment in Canadian history on November 7, 1885, six years before the CPR was supposed to be completed. The photograph shows the final moments of the transcontinental railway, driving the final iron spike into the tracks. Donald Smith, the eldest CPR director at the time, was given this honour of completing the Canadian Pacific Railway, and the two portions of the track, the East and the West, were connected (“Building the Trans-Canada …show more content…
According to Canadian history archives; when Canada began the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, the work was hard and extremely dangerous, and workers were in short supply. Because there were not enough workers to complete the job, as many as 17,000 Chinese men were hired to help with the construction of the railway. The men came to British Columbia for only $1.00 a day, while the Canadian workers were paid $1.50 to $2.00 per day. Despite being paid less, they Chinese labourers were given the most dangerous and difficult jobs. They were responsible for clearing the land in order for the tracks to be placed, which included using dynamite to blast through rocks. With the $1.00 the Chinese labourers were paid each day, they were also required to pay for their food, camping, and cooking gear. Canadian workers were not. Because they had to pay for their own food and cooking supplies on such a low salary, they lived on a diet lacking fruits and vegetables which caused scurvy in many. Plenty of the Chinese labourers died due to fires, landslides, dynamite, and sickness, and their family frequently were not notified (“Building the Canadian Pacific Railway”). As seen in the photograph of the completion of the railway, all of these Chinese labourers were not given the credit that they deserved for the hard work that they contributed to the
In 1871, the colony of British Columbia joined the country under the condition that this coast to coast railway would be built (“Building the Trans-Canada Railroad”). The railway stretches from Montreal all the way to Vancouver which, at the time of its completion, opened a whole new world of opportunities for transportation and the trading of goods of all kinds. The new railway strengthened the economy immensely, helping Canadians who were having trouble making money after the Gold Rush. It allowed people from all over the country to be able to access other parts of Canada with ease. The photograph of Driving the Last Spike freezes an important moment in Canadian history on November 7, 1885, six years before the CPR was supposed to be completed. The photograph shows the final moments of the transcontinental railway, driving the final iron spike into the tracks. Donald Smith, the eldest CPR director at the time, was given this honour of completing the Canadian Pacific Railway, and the two portions of the track, the East and the West, were connected (“Building the Trans-Canada …show more content…
According to Canadian history archives; when Canada began the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, the work was hard and extremely dangerous, and workers were in short supply. Because there were not enough workers to complete the job, as many as 17,000 Chinese men were hired to help with the construction of the railway. The men came to British Columbia for only $1.00 a day, while the Canadian workers were paid $1.50 to $2.00 per day. Despite being paid less, they Chinese labourers were given the most dangerous and difficult jobs. They were responsible for clearing the land in order for the tracks to be placed, which included using dynamite to blast through rocks. With the $1.00 the Chinese labourers were paid each day, they were also required to pay for their food, camping, and cooking gear. Canadian workers were not. Because they had to pay for their own food and cooking supplies on such a low salary, they lived on a diet lacking fruits and vegetables which caused scurvy in many. Plenty of the Chinese labourers died due to fires, landslides, dynamite, and sickness, and their family frequently were not notified (“Building the Canadian Pacific Railway”). As seen in the photograph of the completion of the railway, all of these Chinese labourers were not given the credit that they deserved for the hard work that they contributed to the