4. Connecting Canada from Sea to Sea
Canada is a huge country of 6400 kilometres from east to west. Canada
needed a railway which connected the country from one end to the other.
The building of the railway began in 1881, and it was completed in 1885.
5. The mountains and canyons of British Columbia
The last leg of the national railway was British Columbia with its high mountains,
deep canyons and steep cliffs. Many railroad workers were killed in blasts,
landslides and falls from cliffs.
8. ◦ Between 1881 and 1884, as many as 17,000
Chinese men came to B.C. to work as
labourers on the Canadian Pacific Railway.
The Chinese workers worked for $1 a day,
and from this $1 the workers had to still pay
for their food and their camping and cooking
gear. White workers did not have to pay for
these things even though they were paid
more money ($1.50-$2.50 per day). As well
as being paid less, Chinese workers were
given the most back-breaking and
dangerous work to do. They cleared and
graded the railway's roadbed. They blasted
tunnels through the rock. There were
accidents, fires and disasters. Landslides
and dynamite blasts killed many. There was
no proper medical care and many Chinese
workers depended on herbal cures to help
them.
9. The Last Spike
• The last spike of the Canadian Pacific
Railroad was driven into the track on
November 7, 1885. Sadly, the Chinese
workers were asked to stay out of the
photograph even though they worked hard
to complete the railroad. This decision was
part of the racism that existed between
Canadians and Chinese in that time.
• In other railroads, the last spike was special
and was made of gold. In Canada, the last
spike was made of the traditional iron.
Craigellachie,
BC
spike
10. The movie: Iron Road
The movie begins by introducing James
Nichol, who was the owner of the Nichol
Rail Company. He was the general
contractor of building the railroad. Nichol
made a promise to Canadian Pacific
Railroad and his bank to finish his track
in British Columbia on a deadline. If
Nichol Sr. didn’t make his deadline, the
bank would take away his house and his
properties. He was under great pressure
to finish on time; however, he didn’t have
enough workers to do the job.
James Nichol Sr. James Nichol Jr.
father and son
11. Little Tiger in Hong Kong
• Little Tiger was born in a small village in
Guangdong province. When she was
young, her father quit his job in a
fireworks factory to go to Gold Mountain
to work on the railroad. Little Tiger
heard that her father died laying track,
and she wanted to know the truth of
what happened.
• She sees a poster inviting workers to
Canada. She decides to try her luck. Her
luck was about to change.
“Your luck is about to change.”
12. Nichol Jr. goes to China to find workers
• Nichol Jr. went to China to find
workers to complete the railroad.
• While in Hong Kong, young James
met Little Tiger. She promised to
show James how to use explosives.
Also, she agreed to find workers to
work for one dollar a day in Gold
Mountain.
• She told the workers that they could
keep any gold which they found. Her
promises found 2000 workers ready
to come to Canada.
13. From Woman to Man
• Railroad work is very hard work.
Women were not allowed to work
there. Little Tiger disguises herself as
an man so she can apply for job on
the Canadian railroad. She fools
James Jr., so he gives her a visa and
a job.
14. Little Tiger discovers the truth about the railroad
• With 2000 other migrant
workers, Little Tiger
arrived in Canada. She
disguised herself as a
man and went to work
doing backbreaking
labour. The railroad
gave the most
dangerous jobs to the
Chinese. She soon
discovered that Gold
Mountain brought
fortune to few, and
misery, racism and death
to many.
15. Of course, young James and Little
Tiger fall in love.
Little Tiger James Nichol Jr.
16. “Do you think you can change the world?
I think, more likely, the world changes us.”
-Little Tiger
