Chinese Rail Workers Monument

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Chinese Rail Workers Monument :: July 8, 2005

seems Artless

A shot of the monument to the 17,000 or so Chinese Railworkers in Canada who helped build the Canadian Pacific Railway through the Rocky Mountains in the 1880's.

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January 12, 2006

Chinese Head Tax Payers and Families Demand Just Redress for Official Government Racism
Lorne Gershuny, Marxist-Leninist Candidate, Parkdale--High Park


November 7, 2005 marked the 120th anniversary of the driving of the "last spike" in the construction of the transcontinental railroad in Canada. The historic event was commemorated by a public ceremony held at the Chinese railroad workers monument located next to the Rogers Centre (formerly the Skydome) in Toronto. The ceremony was an occasion to draw attention not only to the immense contribution made, under brutal conditions, by the Chinese railroad workers to the building of Canada but also to the injustice inflicted on the Chinese community by the racist legislation passed by the Canadian government to exclude Chinese immigration after the completion of the railroad.

James R. Pon, the chairman of the Foundation to Commemorate the Chinese Railroad Workers in Canada, honoured the workers in his remarks at the ceremony and called for recognition of their labour. His grandfather, he explained, had worked on the building of the railroad and had survived whereas 4,000 others had died in the dangerous and unhealthy working conditions. Later, in 1922, his father paid a head tax of $1,000 to bring him and his mother to Canada, a sum that took 17 years to repay. The Foundation, which was responsible for erecting the monument, hopes to establish a museum in the old roundhouse in Toronto to honour those who worked on the construction of the railroad.

The issue of redress for the racist head tax imposed in the past on Chinese immigrants by the Canadian government was addressed by Susan Eng, the co-chair of the Ontario Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Payers and Families. Ms. Eng described the efforts that have been made over a number of years to receive a proper acknowledgment by the Canadian government of the injustice that was committed against the Chinese community, first by the head tax and then by decades of exclusion of Chinese immigration by law. The Coalition has demanded an apology for the humiliating head tax and individual compensation for those who were forced to pay it or who suffered because of it. So far, she said, the government has refused.

Head Tax

As soon as the Canadian Pacific Railway was completed in 1885, the federal government began to restrict the immigration of Chinese to Canada. The first measure took the form of a head tax of $50 imposed, with few exceptions, upon every person of Chinese origin entering the country. No other group was targeted in this way.

The head tax was increased to $100 in 1900 and to $500 in 1903. The sum of $500 was equivalent to two years' wages for a Chinese labourer at the time. Meanwhile, Chinese were denied Canadian citizenship. In all, the federal government collected $23 million from the Chinese through the head tax.

Despite the head tax, Chinese immigrants continued to come to Canada. In 1923, Parliament rescinded the head tax but replaced it with a law excluding all but a few Chinese immigrants from entering Canada. Between 1923 and 1947, when the Chinese Immigration Act was repealed, less than 50 Chinese were allowed to come to Canada.

Redress Campaign

Organizations in the Chinese community, in particular the Chinese Canadian National Council, have been working for over 20 years to obtain redress for the head tax and the decades of discriminatory restrictions on Chinese immigration. Over 4,000 head tax payers, widows or descendants have entrusted the CCNC with representing them in seeking an apology and financial redress.

A class action against the Canadian government for compensation for the victims of the head tax was started in December 2000. The court action was based on the government having been unjustly enriched by the tax, that it was in violation of international human rights that existed at the time, and that it violated the equality provisions contained in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

In July 2001, the Ontario Superior Court summarily dismissed the claim at the request of the government. In his reasons for judgment, Justice Peter Cumming concluded that the head tax payers and their descendants had no legal right to compensation through the courts for past government discrimination. He suggested as an alternative that "Parliament should consider providing redress for Chinese Canadians who paid the Head Tax or were adversely affected by the various Chinese Immigration Acts."

An appeal of the judge's decision to the Ontario Court of Appeal was dismissed in September 2002, largely on the basis that the discrimination occurred long before the advent of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982 and that there is therefore no legal recourse. In April 2003, the Supreme Court of Canada denied leave to appeal.

Recognition

In November 2004, a private-member bill (Bill C-333) was introduced in the House of Commons "to recognize and apologize for the treatment that early Chinese immigrants received." In its preamble, the proposed Chinese Canadian Recognition and Redress Act purported to be "An Act to recognize the injustices done to Chinese immigrants by head taxes and exclusion legislation, to provide for recognition of the extraordinary contributions they made to Canada, to provide for redress and to promote education on Chinese Canadian history and racial harmony." The original version of the bill contains an apology but no individual redress. Instead, it provides for the establishment of "an educational foundation that shall have as its object the development and production of educational materials on Chinese Canadian history ...." Furthermore, this limited object would only be established through negotiation with the National Congress of Chinese Canadians, an organization of the government's choosing that has not been active in representing head tax payers and families.

Even the few positive aspects of the bill were eliminated in the version submitted by the government in power to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage for consideration. In order to erase any promise of redress from the outset, the proposed name of the law was changed to the Immigrants of Chinese Origin Exclusionary Measures Recognition Act. The apology was deleted and replaced by a proposal to implement measures which may include "the installation of commemorative plaques where exclusionary measures were enforced" and "exhibitions of information concerning immigrants of Chinese origin and their contribution to the development of Canada." In addition, the revised bill provided that "The Government of Canada and the National Congress of Chinese Canadians may request the Canada Post Corporation to issue a commemorative stamp or set of stamps." The revised bill concluded with one final denial of any responsibility for compensation: "Negotiation undertaken ... shall not be interpreted as constituting an admission by Her Majesty in right of Canada [the federal government] of the existence of any legal obligation of Her Majesty in right of Canada to any person." This amended version of the proposed law was adopted by the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage and reported to the House of Commons on November 4, 2005. The bill had not been passed into law by the time the most recent Parliament was dissolved.

The cynical sabotage of the bill was a reflection of the Liberal government's official policy of trivializing the suffering caused in the past to a succession of immigrant communities by a history of state-sanctioned racial discrimination. The federal Budget Plan for 2005 contained the following announcement:

"As a society, looking to the future can be difficult when troubling memories from Canada's past go unacknowledged. The Department of Canadian Heritage has worked with Canadian ethno cultural groups who carry such memories with them as a result of events that occurred in Canadian history during times of war, or as a result of immigration policies of the day. The objective of these efforts is to ensure that similar events never occur again. In support of these ongoing efforts, Budget 2005 provides $25 million over the next three years for commemorative and educational initiatives that will highlight the contributions that these groups have made to Canadian society and help build a better understanding among all Canadians of the strength of Canadian diversity."

Within hours of the tabling of the non-confidence motion that led to the collapse of the Liberal government, the Minister of State for Multiculturalism, Raymond Chan, announced an Agreement in Principle to pay $2.5 million to the National Congress of Chinese Canadians as part of a secretly negotiated deal on head tax redress that does not provide reconciliation with actual victims. The occasion was described as a "pre-election photo-op" by Ms. Eng of the Ontario Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Payers and Families, who added that "It's bad enough that Minister Chan refuses to apologize to the head tax families and refuses to deal with us. Now, he's poised to give head tax payers' money to a group with exaggerated claims that are falling apart." It has been disclosed that the list supplied by the National Congress of Chinese Canadians of 300 organizations purportedly supporting the agreement includes at least one group that has not yet even been established and others who were not aware that they were put on the list. According to Dr. Joseph Wong, founder of the Chinese Canadian National Council, "The Minister continues to ignore the widespread and growing opposition in the Chinese Canadian community and instead relies on evidence he should know to be faulty. He should stop hurting the community like this, especially the head tax families."


Authorized by the official agent of Lorne Gershuny
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National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers (RMT)

Bristol Rail Branch (0224)
Workers of the world, unite!
http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk

Canadian Pacific Railway names interchange in honour of Chinese rail worker
Canadian Pacific Railway: May 27, 2005

CPR continues to honour the significant role of Chinese railway labourers during railway construction more than 120 years ago.



CPR's Cheng Interchange sign. The only "bi-lingual" standard CPR signpost on the system with a Chinese character

In a ceremony highlighted by a Lion Dance that symbolizes good luck and good blessings, Canadian Pacific Railway named a railway interchange in Kamloops in honour of Cheng Ging Butt, a railway labourer who represented the dedication of those who came forward to work on the CPR transcontinental line in the B.C. interior.

Thousands of Chinese railway workers helped build the Canadian Pacific Railway from the West Coast to Eagle Pass in the Monashee Mountains of Western Canada and many perished.

"Cheng Ging Butt is representative of the extraordinary people who withstood hardships to not only help build a railway, but a nation, as well," said CPR Vice President, Paul Clark. "The Cheng Interchange also symbolizes the important role Chinese railway workers made in the development of the entire railway industry in Canada. In recognizing all Chinese workers for their sacrifices, CPR is paying our deepest respects and gratitude."

Joining the CPR at the ceremony were members of Cheng Ging Butt's family, representatives from the Chinese community in Kamloops and officials from the City of Kamloops.

"Our Grandfather was just one of many Chinese men who worked on this railway. These men accepted the risks involved and many perished; but most survived. Our family was fortunate that our grandfather not only survived but also prospered after working for the CPR," said Cheng Ging Butt's descendent, Kevan Jangze. "Today, our children are fourth generation Canadians, and have strong ties to the history of Canada. We are proud to be Canadian and are privileged that our grandfather chose to come to Canada to work for the CPR."

The Cheng Interchange is located just east of the CPR Station in Kamloops on Lorne Street. An interchange is a key part for any railway, as it keeps the efficient flow of rail cars from one railway to another. The Cheng Interchange is the central junction point for freight and passenger rail service in Kamloops.

Mayor of Kamloops, Mel Rothenburger, welcomed the designation of the Cheng Interchange. "This is a fitting honour for all Chinese residents in Kamloops and across the country whose forefathers built the railway. As well, it demonstrates the role Kamloops played as a centre for western railway construction and the fact it continues to be a rail hub for CPR."

In addition to the Cheng Interchange, Canadian Pacific Railway announced a special monument in honour of Chinese rail workers would be unveiled in Kamloops later this year.



CPR Chinese labourers, put in a siding that cut into an embankment behind the Cheng Family home. Yale, B.C. circa 1885 - Cheng Family photo supplied by Kevan Jangze.

Clark added what Cheng Ging Butt and the thousands of other Chinese railway workers did many years ago made it possible for CPR to embark on its recently announced $160 million western corridor expansion project. "Their hard work and dedication to open up the west many years ago makes our company's current expansion possible, which will benefit Canada's economy for the future."




CPR labourers, under the Federal Government's Onderdonk Contract, build along the Lower Fraser Valley in British Columbia. circa 1883 - Canadian Pacific Railway Archives photo. NS.13561-2.

About Cheng Ging Butt
Cheng Ging Butt was born in Southern China's Guangdon province in 1858, came over to work on the railway as one of the thousands who emigrated to Canada between 1881 and 1885. After 1885 when he had completed his railway construction work with CPR, Cheng Ging Butt settled by the tracks near Yale, where he ran a dry goods store, a temple and farmed cherries, which he and his children sold to CPR's dining car staff and passengers on passing trains. Married with eight sons and two daughters, he also was the founder of the Cheng Association in Vancouver. Cheng Ging Butt passed away in 1930.




Cheng Ging Butt -- 1858 to 1930: the CPR labourer, Yale store owner, temple president, orchardist and merchant, after whom Canadian Pacific Railway is naming an interchange in Kamloops, B.C., May 27, 2005. circa 1928 - Cheng Family photo supplied by Kevan Jangze.

About Chinese Railway Labourers
Between 1881 and 1885, 17,007 Chinese arrived in Canada (according to an 1885 Royal Commission on Chinese Immigration). Up to 9,000 of them worked building the railway for the federal government from Port Moody to Savona and for CPR through to Craigellachie, B.C., during the 19th century - from the West Coast to Eagle Pass in the Monashee Mountains of western Canada. They helped greatly to achieve a united Canada.

About Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway is a transcontinental carrier operating in Canada and the U.S. Its 14,000-mile rail network serves the principal centres of Canada, from Montreal to Vancouver, and the U.S. Northeast and Midwest regions. CPR feeds directly into America's heartland from the East and West coasts. Alliances with other carriers extend its market reach throughout the U.S. and into Mexico.
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开始爬山了? 加油

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Toronto & York Region Labour Council
Monday, April 28, 2003 | National Day of Mourning
Tribute to Chinese Railroad Workers and all Immigrant Workers

Toronto – Every year the Toronto and York Region Labour Council honours workers who died or were injured on the job. On Monday, April 28, the Labour Council will pay tribute to the Chinese railroad workers who played a vital role in the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway over a century ago.

The Chinese railroad workers worked under extremely harsh, exploitive and hostile conditions. As a result, thousands were seriously injured or died during the construction of the railroad. These deaths often went unreported.

"The Chinese railroad workers exemplified the sacrifices made by all immigrant workers towards the building of Canada", said John Cartwright, President of the Toronto & York Region Labour Council. A For too many years their contribution was not recognized by our society.

"As a Labour Council, one of our top priorities is to advocate for a safe and healthy workplace. We must commemorate those workers who were injured or died on the job so that their sacrifices will not be forgotten. One of the best places to do that is at the Monument to the Chinese Railroad Workers next to the SkyDome."

John Cartwright and Jim Pon, Chairman of the Foundation to Commemorate the Chinese Railroad Workers, will lay a wreath at the Monument dedicated to the Chinese Railroad Workers.
Date: Monday, April 28, 2003
Time: Noon – 1 p.m.
Place: Monument to Chinese Railroad Workers
(next to the SkyDome, south of Front St., east of Spadina Av.)
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Head Tax Group Condemns Liberal Amendments to C-333
Wednesday October 26, 2005

The Ontario Coalition of Head Tax Payers and Families condemns the actions of Sam Bulte, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage in proposing amendments to Bill C-333 to further dilute what the Coalition has already criticized as inadequate redress for the 63 years of legislated racism under the head tax legislation and Chinese Exclusion Act.

TORONTO: The Ontario Coalition of Head Tax Payers and Families condemns the actions of Sam Bulte, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage in proposing amendments to Bill C-333 to further dilute what the Coalition has already criticized as inadequate redress for the 63 years of legislated racism under the head tax legislation and Chinese Exclusion Act. And in a perverse response to the opposition expressed by the Coalition and many other Chinese community organizations, Ms Bulte expressly names and strengthens the involvement of the National Congress of Chinese Canadians, a shadowy group that appears to have the ear of the Liberal government.

"It's bad enough that a Junior Minister responsible for Canadian Heritage has little appreciation for the injustice perpetrated on the Chinese Canadian community and what reconciliation actually requires," said Susan Eng, Co- Chair of the Coalition. "It adds insult to injury that immediately after unequivocal deputations from equity-seeking groups with a long track record in representing head tax families that the Minister would make a partner of a group which is unrepresentative of head tax families and
virtually invisible on social justice issues in Canada."

The Liberal minister's amendments to Bill C-333, a private member's bill sponsored by Conservative MP Inky Mark, (Dauphin-Swan River) will be debated at the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage next Tuesday and with the Conservative support of the Liberal amendments, the Bill may be passed and returned to the Commons for passage.

"When the last spike was driven in 1885, the Chinese railroad workers were excluded from the ceremony." says, Doug Hum, a co-chair of the Coalition and a founder of the project for the Chinese Railroad Workers Monument. "That's when they enacted the head tax - instead of gratitude, they were shut out for over 60 years. Now, this Liberal government responds to our demands for redress with plans for a postage stamp and some plaques. It makes you wonder whether they are taking their orders from the Tories [former Reform party members] or this group that I've never understood to support reparations. It certainly can't be from the scores of Canadians I've met who support redress
and reconciliation."

The Ontario Coalition of Head Tax Payers and Families consists of head taxpayers, their surviving spouses and descendents. They are joined in their opposition to Bill C-333 and the Liberal amendments by the Chinese Canadian National Council, the Association of Chinese Canadians for Equality and Solidarity Society, Metro Toronto Chinese and South East Asian Legal Clinic,BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers Spouses and Descendants.

- 30 -
For further information, please contact:
Susan Eng [Ontario Coalition of Head Tax Payers and Families] - 416-960-0312
Doug Hum [Ontario Coalition of Head Tax Payers and Families] - 416-706-7886
[cell]
Avvy Go [Metro Toronto Chinese and South East Asian Legal Clinic] - 416-
971-9674
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1988
Title: Chinese Railroad Workers Memorial
Sculptor: Eldon Garnet
Dimensions: 1.5 Life Size Figures
Location: Toronto, Canada
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Someone has vandalised a sculpture located near Toronto's Skydome. Three bronze plaques are missing from a sculpture entitled The Chinese Railroad Workers Memorial. The 75-by-75-centimetre plaques were inscribed with brief descriptions, in English and Chinese, of the fate of 17,000 Chinese labourers who helped build the western section of the Canadian Pacific Railway during the 1880s. The Chinese were employed by contractor Andrew Onderdonk or his sub-contractors on the construction of the Pacific section of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The letting of sub-contracts was as common in railway construction as it is in general contracting today. This is not the first time the sculpture has been attacked by vandals. Three smaller plaques were taken in 1992, and the concrete base of the work has been spray painted with non-political graffiti four or five times since it was installed in 1989.
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