Discover Toronto's Railway Heritage!
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The Ties That Bind: Virtual Screening and Q&A
May 13, 2021 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
With the Foundation to Commemorate the Chinese Railroad Workers in Canada (FCCRWC), we’re proud to present the next event in our 2021 lecture series!
Join us on May 13 for a screening of the FCCRWC’s film, The Ties that Bind with a post-show Q&A with a representative from the Foundation and Toronto Railway Museum historians. The Ties That Bind preserves a seldom told part of Canada’s history and we are pleased to present the film as we celebrate Asian Heritage Month in May.
About The Ties That Bind
Between 1881 and 1885, over 17,000 Chinese men came to Canada to work as labourers on the construction of the western section of the transcontinental railroad. Today, many Chinese Canadians are direct descendants of these men. The Ties That Bind: Building the CPR, Building a Place in Canada tells their story, and how their forebears contributed to nation building.
The famous “Last Spike” photograph tells only one part of the story. The people looking at the camera are white. Not one Chinese man is present. In this final moment, the story of the Chinese railway worker – their labour, sacrifice, and struggles – is omitted from the historical record.
The Ties That Bind examines the struggle of the Chinese Canadian community to establish an identity and roots in Canada. Through archival evidence and research about the men who came from China to build the transcontinental railway in the 1880s, and the use of oral testimony of their descendants, The Ties That Bind preserves a seldom told part of Canada’s history.
About the Foundation to Commemorate the Chinese Railroad Workers in Canada (FCCRWC)
The Foundation to Commemorate the Chinese Railroad Workers in Canada (FCCRWC) is a registered charitable organization. The goals of the foundation include promoting the understanding and awareness of the contribution to Canada by the Chinese Railroad Workers who participated in the construction of the first transcontinental railway (the CPR) that united Canada geographically and politically; promoting the awareness of the government’s legislation of unjust Immigration Acts against the Chinese pioneers and their families; establishing scholarships; and sponsoring other Canadian charitable organizations to promote Chinese Canadian History.
Email: fccrwc@gmail.com
Website: https://www.mhso.ca/tiesthatbind/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FCCRWC/ (@FCCRWC)
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChineseRailroad (@ChineseRailroad)
About the Toronto Railway Museum (TRM)
The Toronto Railway Museum (TRM) brings people together by telling stories of Toronto’s railway heritage. The Museum is located in the heart of downtown Toronto and is typically open year-round. TRM presents exhibits, tours, educational programs and publications that broaden the understanding and appreciation of Toronto’s rich railway history. TRM is committed to telling the stories of the railways, and welcoming conversations of its varied experiences through its lecture series, exhibits and integrated programming with a mission to learn from the past to make the future better.
