Umzila Kaloliwe Onqumla Iilwandle
UMMANDLA omkhulu eKhanada, ilizwe lesibini ngobukhulu ehlabathini, linentlango ekungazange kwahanjwa kuyo kangangeminyaka eli-150 eyadlulayo. Umbhali-mbali uPierre Berton uthi: “Isithathu kwisine sabantu balapho sasihlala kwiifama ezisemagqagaleni yaye kwakunzima ukuya kuzo ngenxa yokuba mbi kweendlela zalapho.” Kwakunzima nokuhamba kumachibi okanye kwimilambo yalapho kuba ayesiba ngumkhenkce kangangeenyanga ezintlanu ngonyaka.
Kuthe ngenxa yezi ngxaki, ngowe-1871 inkulumbuso yelo uMhlekazi uJohn A. Macdonald yenza isiphakamiso sokuba kwakhiwe umzila kaloliwe odibanisa uNxweme lweAtlantiki lwaseKhanada nolo lwePasifiki. Umzila ofana nalo wawusele ugqityiwe eUnited States ngowe-1869 kodwa yona iKhanada yayingenamali kangako, inommandla omkhulu yaye inabemi abamalunga neshumi ekhulwini kuphela labo baseUnited States. Enye inkokeli yezobupolitika yaseKhanada yathi lo msebenzi “bubudenge obungaphaya kwengqondo.” Kanti yona enye indoda ihlekisa yathi, enye into eza kulandela kukuva inkulumbuso ithetha ngokwakhiwa komzila kaloliwe oya enyangeni.
Isiphakamiso Esiziindleko
Noko ke, urhulumente wathembisa ukuba lo mzila uza kwakhiwa ugqitywe ngeminyaka elishumi. USandford Fleming, unonjineli waseSkotlani wemizila yoololiwe waqikelela ukuba lo mzila uza kuxabisa iidola ezi-100 lezigidi, yabe ininzi loo mali ngaloo maxesha. Nangona ukunqumla kwalo mzila eUnited States wawunokuzenza lula izinto, lo kaMacdonald wema kwelokuba lo mzila uphelele kwelaseKhanada ukuze kukhuselwe eli lizwe xa kukho imfazwe.
Abatyali-mali abaninzi babengakulungelanga ukuxhasa elo phulo liziindleko nelingaqinisekanga. Noko ke, ngowe-1875 umsebenzi waqala xa iCanadian Pacific Railway (CPR) yaphethula isoyi yokuqala ukuze kwakhiwe lo mzila. Kwiminyaka elishumi emva koko, lo msebenzi wawusecicini lokuyekwa ngokupheleleyo. NgoJulayi 10, ngentsimbi yesi-3:00 emva kwemini kwakufuneka iidola ezingama-400 000, mali leyo iCPR yayisoyiswa kukuyihlawula. Kodwa ngeyesi-2:00 kwangaloo mvakwemini, ipalamente yaseKhanada yayisandul’ ukuvuma ukubolekisa ngaloo mali ukuze lo msebenzi uqhubeke.
Iingxaki Ebudeni Bolwakhiwo
Ngoxa babebeka lo mzila kumntla weOntario, abasebenzi bafumanisa ukuba kukho ilitye elikhulu elikwiisentimitha ezingama-30 ngaphantsi komhlaba. Ngenxa yoko, kwafuneka kuthuthwe umhlaba kangangomgama omde. Kumbindi weKhanada amaqondo obushushu asebusika ehla aya kutsho ngaphantsi kukanothi ngama-47 ngokukaCelsius, nto leyo eyabangela iingxaki ezininzi ebudeni bolwakhiwo. Ukongezelela koko, ikhephu lawa kakhulu kuloo nyaka kangangamakhulukhulu eesentimitha. Icala lalo mzila elingakwiiRocky Mountains ngasentshona lalibizwa ngokuba “kulapho ukufa kufika khona kungabhungisanga.” Kwakufuneka kwakhiwe amatonela neebhulorho ezininzi. Yayisele iqhelekile into yokusebenza iiyure ezilishumi ngosuku, kunetha, kukho udaka okanye kuwe ikhephu.
Kuthe ekugqibeleni ngoNovemba 7, 1885 wagqitywa umsebenzi eEagle Pass eBritish Columbia entshona. Esi sitishi sikaloliwe sabizwa ngokuba yiCraigellachie, phofu sithiywa ngelali yaseSkotlani eyayinoqhankqalazo neyaduma ngemvukelo yayo xa kwakunzima. Xa wayebizwe ukuba aze kuphefumla ngalo msebenzi, umalathisi-jikelele weCPR wathi: “Ndingatsho nje ukuba lo msebenzi wenziwe kakuhle ngandlela zonke.”
Indlela Obachaphazela Ngayo Abantu
Abasebenzi abangamawakawaka baseTshayina abathunyelwa kwelo lizwe ukuza kuncedisa kulo mzila babezixelele ukuba banomsebenzi oqinisekileyo. Lo msebenzi wawusoloko uyingozi, ingakumbi kwiiRocky Mountains. Abasebenzi abaninzi baqala ukufumana imali eyaneleyo yokugoduka kanye xa uphelayo lo msebenzi.
Ukwenziwa kwalo mzila, kwabangela ukuba imizi-mveliso namashishini aye ngasentshona nto leyo eyayibetha kanobom indlela eqhelekileyo yokuphila. Kwasekwa iidolophu nezixeko baza abantu bomthonyama bathunyelwa kwiindawo ababezibekelwe. Kwavalwa iimarike namashishini asakhasayo njengeendawo zotywala ezisecaleni kwendlela. Ukubakho kwalo loliwe kuncedile kuba “abantu bayakwazi ukuhamba enoba kukho udaka okanye ikhephu.” Ukongezelela, ukutya okusuka kwiOrient ekuNxweme lwePasifiki eKhanada kwakufika emva kweentsuku nje ezimbalwa emva kokuba kuthunyelwe kwizixeko ezisempuma.
Nangona oololiwe besayithutha kakhulu imithwalo kulo lonke elaseKhanada, ukusetyenziswa kakhulu kweemoto kwakunye neenqwelo-moya kubangele ukunqaba koololiwe abakhwelisa abantu. Kodwa nangoku abantu abaninzi basathi xa bebaleka isiphithiphithi senkulungwane yama-21 bakhwele uloliwe otofotofo osuka eToronto usiya eVancouver ukuze babone ubuhle obuthi ndijonge beendawo zalapho. Kunokuba enze ubomi bukhawuleze njengokuba kwakha kwanjalo, uloliwe unceda abakhweli bawo baphumle baze bakhumbule imbali eyonwabisayo yalo mzila kaloliwe ngoxa benqumla iilwandle zaseKhanada behamba ngalo mzila.
[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 18]
UKUCHAZELA ABANYE NGETHEMBA ESINALO KULO “MZILA KALOLIWE”
Uloliwe usesesona sithuthi sisetyenziswayo ngabantu baseKhanada, ngenxa yoko amaNgqina kaYehova akhwela kuye ukuze aye kuchazela abantu ngesigidimi seBhayibhile esingoBukumkani bukaThixo kwiindawo ezikude. (Isaya 9:6, 7; Mateyu 6:9, 10) La maNgqina athi: “Kulula ukuthetha ngeBhayibhile xa ukhwele kuloliwe kuba abantu bafun’ ukwazi indawo esiya kuyo noko siyokukwenza apho.”
Lithetha ngohambo lukaloliwe olwalusiya kwindawo yezilwanyana eseOjibwa kufutshane neChibi iNipigon elinye iNgqina lithi: “Nangona sabona iindawo nezinto ezintle zendalo, eyona nto esingasoze siyilibale ngabantu esadibana nabo. Ngenxa yokuba kwakungafane kutyelele bantu apho, bakuvuyela gqitha ukusibona. Abanye basiboleka amaphenyane abo yaye abazange basihlawulise ngokusebenzisa iklasi yabo. Emva kokuba sishumayele imini yonke, abantu balapho beza kubukela ividiyo ethetha ngomsebenzi wethu wokushumayela owenziwa ehlabathini lonke.”
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16]
UMhlekazi uJohn A. Macdonald
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Kwakunzima ukwakha umzila kaloliwe
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Kwafuneka ukuba kwakhiwe iibhulorho namatonela amaninzi anqumla iintaba
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Wagqitywa umsebenzi wokwakhiwa komzila kaloliwe ohamba kulo lonke elaseKhanada
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 18]
Ukuhamba kulo mzila namhlanje
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Top: Canadian Pacific Railway (A17566); middle: Library and Archives Canada/C-006513
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Top, left to right: Canadian Pacific Railway (NS13561-2); Canadian Pacific Railway (NS7865); Library and Archives Canada/PA-066576; bottom: Canadian Pacific Railway (NS1960)
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Top: Canadian National Railway Company; right: Courtesy VIA Rail Canada Inc.