Chinese Railroad Worker Memorial Day

About the Campaign

On November 7, the Foundation will pay tribute to our Chinese Railroad Workers by:

November 7th Proclamation
Requesting provinces, territories, and capital cities to proclaim November 7th as Chinese Railroad Workers Memorial Day

November 7th Evening Commemorative Event
Last Spike Reclaimed: A Formal Dinner in Tribute to Chinese Railroad Workers

On November 7, the Foundation to Commemorate the Chinese Railroad Workers in Canada will host a commemorative event to pay homage to the Chinese pioneers who came to Canada in the 1880s to help build the railroad through the Canadian Rockies, thus uniting Canada from coast to coast, both politically and geographically. Of the 17,000 men who came from the Province of Guangdong, China, over 4,000 lost their lives due to unsafe working conditions, landslides, and premature blastings.

Sadly, on November 7, 1885, during the hammering of the last spike, Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) company director Donald Smith was surrounded by dignitaries and railroad workers, yet not one Chinese face appeared in the iconic Canadian picture. This omission underscores the importance of marking November 7 as a day to pay tribute to our Chinese Railroad Workers and honor their contributions to the building of our nation.

After being recruited to build the first transcontinental railroad, the Chinese were banned from Canada through the Chinese Immigration Act (known as the Chinese Exclusion Act). This discriminatory law took effect on July 1, 1923, what most Canadians refer to as Canada Day, which the Chinese Community refers to as “Humiliation Day”. The Chinese Exclusion Act banned Chinese immigrants for 24 years until its repeal in 1947. During the exclusionary period, many wives and children in China were separated from the Chinese men in Canada. The impacts of the Chinese Exclusion Act reverberate through Chinese families and communities to this day. With the formal apology by the Government of Canada on June 22, 2006, for the unjust legislation of the Chinese Exclusion Act, Prime Minister Stephen Harper remarked that the building of the transcontinental railway was completed through the “back-breaking toil of Chinese Labourers” and that Chinese Railroad Workers were “involved in the most important nation-building enterprise in Canadian history”.

November 7, 2025 Chinese Railroad Workers Memorial Day

November 7, 2024 Chinese Railroad Workers Memorial Day

Nov 7, 2024  proclaimed as Chinese Railroad Workers Memorial Day by Ottawa
We invite provinces, territories, and capital cities across Canada to officially proclaim November 7 as Chinese Railroad Workers Memorial Day. This proclamation serves as a lasting tribute to the bravery, sacrifice, and contributions of the Chinese pioneers who helped build our nation. We are proud to have received the first proclamation from Ottawa in September 2024.

Nov 7 The Last Spike Commemorative Dinner 

On November 7, we welcomed over 200 attendees to our commemorative dinner, gathering to honour and pay tribute to the Chinese railroad workers.

Our campaign key design features a hand gripping a nail, marked by blisters and deep wrinkles—a symbol of the hardships endured by Chinese railroad workers. We aimed to depict a hand that tells the story of a tough, challenging life, capturing their resilience and struggles.

By deliberately muting the colours to a greyish tone, we emphasize the blisters and wrinkles, intensifying the emotional impact. We want viewers to genuinely feel the immense hardship and pain these workers endured. Our goal is for this image to resonate deeply, conveying the struggle and resilience of those who gave so much.

Nov 7 Campaign Highlights