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Tristen W.
Richmond, British Columbia
Other
Blood and Iron
My project is about the Chinese labourers who worked on the C.P.R.. It went to the Regional and Provincial Heritage Fair in 2013.
What was the most interesting thing you learned about your topic?
The most interesting thing I learned about the topic was that when John A. Macdonald gave his speech about the completion of the C.P.R., he did not mention the Chinese at all. Even though they did most of the work.
What important lessons have you learned that you want to share with other Canadians?
I learned that the Chinese were able to find a hope in all situations, even in the worst. It teaches us that we should, too, make the best of our situations with what we have, very much like the Chinese men who came to work for a "fortune." Or what they thought was a fortune.
How would you compare your life today to the lives of those studied in your project?
Today, we have Advil, Tylenol, cough syrup, and literally everything for the common cold. Back then, the only thing they had was ginger, which could only cure a mere cold. We also all have much better living quarters than any of the labourers could ever have.