Chinese Railway Workers Memorial

Located in the heart of Ottawa's Chinatown, this public monument honours the 17,000 Chinese workers who helped build the Canadian Pacific Railway between 1880 and 1885. Despite harsh working conditions and systemic discrimination, their resilience and sacrifice helped unite the country and shaped Canada's history.

Created by artists Chang Shi and Chang Yi, and supported by the Government of Canada through FedDev Ontario, the sculpture features a base shaped like a map of Canada, railway tracks forming the Chinese character 人 (human), and two figures symbolising suffering and strength.