The dangerous work and the even more dangerous pay.

Parks Canada Agency, Government of Canada. “Chinese Construction Workers on the Canadian Pacific Railway National Historic Event.” Parks Canada Agency, Government of Canada, April 17, 2023. https://parks.canada.ca/culture/designation/evenement-event/travailleurs-chinois-chinese-workers

The photo is of a Chinese man in his camp in Kamloops British Colombia. A Chinese railroad worker to be more specific. The camps they stayed in were far less than sanitary and liveable. But even worse, was the work they had to endure and the pay they got for said work. The work included the jobs no one wanted, such as handling explosives to blow up mountains, mining their way through rock, and handling the heaviest loads. For their extremely hard work they were paid as little as 1.-1.25 dollars while the white men got paid twice that sitting around 2.-3.75 dollars. The Chinese workers also had to pay for their equipment, gear, and food. If they weren't dying from their labrous work they were dying from illness, malnutrition, and simply exhaustion. It is said that about 660 workers died building that railway but others estimate 2200. But those numbers could range from anywhere from 660-5000 men killed. Most of the time, the families whether in Canada or China were never notified.

“Chinese Railway Workers.” British Columbia - An Untold History. https://bcanuntoldhistory.knowledge.ca/1880/chinese-railway-workers