7h 10min, jan 2, 1881 y - Start of the Railway

Description:

Construction on the Canadian Pacific Railway began in 1881. There was a shortage of workers so the government recruited people from China to come to Canada to help build the railway. About 17, 000 of the laborers hired were Chinese. The Chinese workers were given the most dangerous and taxing jobs including lighting explosives and building over Rocky Mountain Passes and over rivers. According to oral history, one Chinese worker died for every mile of railway. These workers slept in boxcars and tents near railways and received $1.00 per day compared to the white workers who were paid between $1.50 to $2.50 per day.

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