The Canadian Pacific Railway

The Canadian Pacific Railway was founded in 1881, it took nearly five years to build the railway. The railway is 22,500 kilometers from Montreal to Vancouver and also into the united states. Prime Minister Sir John A. Mcdonald of the Consevative government took over the idea of the railway to join in on the confederation of Canada. Over 2,000 men worked to help build the railroad. In 1883 the railway was in danger of running out of money to build the railway. but on January 31, 1884, the government passed the "Railway Relief Bill" giving another $22.5 million in loans to the CPR. Chinese workers were paid as little as 75 cents to $1.25 a day, they worked with explosives and many other dangerous jobs in very poor conditions. Family members didnt even recieve notification if there loved ones were lost or killed buiding the railway,There were boys as yound as the age of twelve who were hired to serve tea. The last spike was put in the railroad in Craigellachie Birtish Columbia on November 7th 1885. On May 23, 1887 the first train arrived in Vancouver! This is a very proud but also not so proud in Canada, it is proud because we created a way to communicate and travel all across Canada but also not so proud to the fact of how the workers were treated while building the railway but in 2006 the Government of Canada made a apology to the Chinese people in Canada for treating them harshly during that time.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJobZQk5p70