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Background
The Canadian Pacific Railway, the first transcontinental rail line in Canada, has played an important role in the economic, social and cultural life of Canadians for many years. Especially, it was instrumental in creating and preserving Canada's territorial integrity and national unity, and opening the country to the Asia Pacific.
Building the railway involved tens of thousands of workers who laboured or even sacrificed their lives. Among them were Chinese workers in the thousands who left their native soil more than 100 years ago. They were the major force behind the completion of the most dangerous and arduous stretch of the railway from Calgary to Vancouver. In the words of Canada's first Prime Minister, Sir John Macdonald, "Without the Chinese labourers, there would be no railroad:" and as we know today, without the rail link, there would have been no sea-to sea Canada.
Mission
The goal of this epic television documentary series titled "Canadian Steel, Chinese Grit" is to re-create, re-examine and re-think this piece of history. It also traces the history of the descendants of these Chinese workers, looking into their roles in the politics, economy and culture of Canada's multi-ethnic society, and focuses on their contributions to the country's growth and prosperity. In so doing, it seeks to promote mutual understanding cooperation and friendship between Canada and China.
The Project
This is the first historical documentary that deals comprehensively with this period of the Canadian past it is a snapshot of the experiences of pioneer Canadian Chinese. The documentary consists of eight episodes:
- Historic Choices
- Pacific Waves
- Hardship Years
- Chinese Grit
- Survival Rights
- Silent Sacrifice
- Cultural Blending
- Looking into the Future
The producers of the "Canadian Steel, Chinese Grit" Project started exploring this historical event in 1993. After years of preparation, the crew began field-shooting in 1997, travelling along the mountains and forests where pioneer Chinese workers used to labour in building the railway. Dozens of descendants of these pioneers were successfully traced in Canada and China's Guangdong Province and were interviewed along with officials at all levels of Canadian government. The rare historical evidence presented in the series builds up an objective an authentic case about Chinese labourers in the building of the railway that is overwhelming in emotional power. This historical documentary series will have significant impact as it will move the hearts of people in both Canada and China.
The series was screened on CCTV, China's largest and most authoritative media outlet with hundreds of millions of viewers. It was also broadcast on Canadian TV networks, as well as in the United States, Europe, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia.
Project Organizers
The "Canadian Steel, Chinese Grit" Project is jointly produced by Sino-Foreign Who's Who Research of China (WWRA) and the China Railway Commission for the Next Working Generation. WWRA's mission is to research into the inspiration famous Chinese have given to the general public, to conduct integrated study on Chinese culture, and to promote world peace and human progress. Numerous important projects in national academic and cultural affairs have been undertaken by WWRA. Among them are the publication of 200 authoritative works including the biographical dictionary "Who's Who in Contemporary China," "the Chinese Spirit," "The Righteous Spirit of China," and "Anthology of Chinese Historical Incidents."
The China Railway commission for the Next Working Generation is an advisory body of China's Ministry of Railways, comprised of retired veterans of the ministry's railway bureaus who promote education for the next generation. The Commission has produced the documentary "120 Years of Railways in China."
Two Canadian institutions area co-organizers of the CSCG project. One is the David See-Chai Lam Centre for International Communication of Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. It is a teaching, training and research centre with a focus on intercultural and intercultural cooperation and communication. Since its inauguration in 1989, it has facilitated numerous programs and events promoting intercultural communication between people of North American society and people in or from the Asia Pacific region.
Another is the Institute of Asian Research of the University of British Columbia. Established in 1987, it aims to promote and facilitate the growth of research expertise on the Asia-Pacific through developing research projects, organizing seminars, visiting lectures, conferences and workshops, and providing information about Asia-Pacific related events.
Chinese Canadian Heritage Chronological Chart
The Chinese Canadian Chronological Chart is a visual timeline presentation that encapsulates the history, development and contributions of Chinese Canadians over a 212-year period.Features include:
- the timeline
- stories of each period
- elected Chinese Canadian politicians from 1957-1999
- Chinese Canadians appointed to the Order of Canada
- ethnic composition of Canada and China of each period
- twinned provinces and cities between Canada and China
- comparison between Canada and China
38" x 27", poster size in English, French and Chinese. See features of this chart.
Ordering Information
The "Canadian Steel, Chinese Grit" video may be purchased through the Moving Images Distribution.
Moving Images Distribution
402 West Pender Street, Suite 606
Vancouver, BC CANADA V6B 1T6
tel: (604) 684-3014 fax: (604) 684-7165
e-mail: mailbox@movingimages.caThe Chinese Canadian Heritage Chronological Chart (38" x 27", poster size in English, French and Chinese) may be purchased for $20 through the Chinese Canadian Heritage Fund.
Chinese Canadian Heritage Fund
David See-Chai Lam Centre for International Communication
Simon Fraser University at Harbour Centre
515 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC
V6B 5K3tel: (778) 782-5089
fax: (778) 782-5112
e-mail: info@cchfonline.org
web: http://www.cic.sfu.ca/cchf or http://cchfonline.org
