CHINESE
RAILROAD WORKERS
Monument, between
Skydome (Rogers Centre) and Spadina Ave., south of Front St.,
beside the railyards, Toronto
This striking
monument is a dramatic portrayal of a railway trestle under
construction by Chinese railroad workers. Artist Eldon Garnett
visualizes in this powerful sculpture the thousands of Chinese
workers who helped build the Canadian Pacific Railway through the
Rocky Mountains
They had
come to
Canada from Kwantung Province, far from their families and to a
hostile environment. At least one worker died for each mile of track
laid. More than 4,000 of the 17,000 who came lost their lives and
remain nameless. Many were killed in blasting routes through the
Fraser Canyon, while others were buried in mudslides or died from
disease. These workers were brought to Canada because of the demand
for cheap construction labour. Once the line was completed, a
head tax was imposed to stop further Chinese immigration, a tax which
rose to $500 by 1903. On 1 July 1923 all immigration from China was
stopped, except for diplomats, rich merchants or students. This
legislation was repealed in 1947, when Chinese Canadians gained full
citizenship rights.
The
memorial was
unveiled September 1989. A wreath placed by the Ontario Federation of
Labour on Workers’ Memorial Day read “In memory of
our fellow
workers killed at the work site”.
Photo
Credit: Toronto Star