“Ibhande Lensimbi” Elihlanganisa Izilwandle
EMINYAKENI engaba ngu-150 edlule, ingxenye enkulu yeCanada, eyizwe lesibili ngobukhulu emhlabeni, yayingaziwa nhlobo. Isazi-mlando uPierre Berton siyachaza: “Umphakathi oyizingxenye ezintathu kwezine wawuhlala emapulazini akude,” futhi isimo sezindlela “sasenza ukufinyelela ezindaweni eziqhelile kube nzima.” Ukuhamba emachibini nasemifuleni nakho kwakungavamile, ngoba amanzi ayeba yiqhwa isikhathi esingafinyelela ezinyangeni ezinhlanu ngonyaka.
Ebhekene nalezo zinselele, ngo-1871 undunankulu uSir John A. Macdonald, wahlongoza ukuba kwakhiwe ujantshi owawuzohlanganisa ugu lweCanada olungase-Atlantic nogu olungasePacific. Nakuba ujantshi onjalo wakhiwa waqedwa e-United States ngo-1869, kodwa elaseCanada lalingenayo imali eyanele, kanti lide ibanga okwakufanele lihlanganiswe, futhi cishe leli zwe lalinabantu abangamaphesenti ayishumi kuphela kunelase-United States. Umholi othile wezombangazwe eCanada wabiza lo msebenzi owawuhlongozwa ngokuthi “ungenye yezinto eziwubuwula kakhulu ongazicabanga.” Omunye ngokubhinqa wathi ngokulandelayo undunankulu uzohlongoza ukuba kwakhiwe ujantshi oya enyangeni.
Isihlongozo Esibizayo
Nokho, uhulumeni wathembisa ukuthi lo jantshi wawuzoqedwa phakathi neminyaka eyishumi. USandford Fleming, ongunjiniyela wojantshi waseScotland, walinganisela ukuthi lo jantshi wawuzobiza ama-dollar ayizigidi eziyikhulu, okwakuyisamba esikhulu ngalezo zinsuku. Nakuba ukunqamula kwalo jantshi e-United States kwakuyokwenza umzila ube mfushane futhi kube lula ukuwakha, uMacdonald waphikelela ngokuthi mawunqamule eCanada kuphela ukuze kuvikelwe impahla yalelo zwe uma kugqashuka impi.
Abatshali abaningi bezimali babengazimisele ukuhileleka emsebenzini oyingozi nobiza kangaka. Kodwa-ke, ngo-1875 umsebenzi waqala lapho i-Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) iqala ukwakha umzila wayo oyinhloko. Ngemva kweminyaka eyishumi lo msebenzi waba sengcupheni yokuma. Ngo-July 10, kwakufanele i-CPR ikhokhe imali engu-$400 000 eyayingenayo, eyayifuneka ngo-3:00 ntambama. Kodwa ngo-2:00 ntambama ngalo lolo suku, iPhalamende laseCanada lagcina livumile ukutsheleka i-CPR imali eyengeziwe, okwenza umsebenzi waqhubeka.
Izinkinga Zokwakha Eziyinselele
Lapho zakha ujantshi enyakatho ye-Ontario, izisebenzi zathola idwala eliqinile ebangeni elingamasentimitha angu-30 ngaphansi kwenhlabathi. Ngakho kwadingeka ukuba kugandaywe ngenhlabathi eyayilandwa kude. Enkabeni yeCanada, izinga lokubanda ebusika lalifinyelela ku-47 degrees Celsius ngaphansi kwezinga-qhwa, okwakudala izinkinga eziningi emsebenzini wokwakha. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukukhithika kwakwenza kube neqhwa elilinganiselwa emakhulwini amasentimitha ngonyaka. Ingxenye kajantshi enqamula eziNtabeni ZaseRocky ngasentshonalanga kwakuthiwa “isendaweni egaselwa ukufa kungazelelwe.” Kwakudingeka ukuba kwakhiwe imihubhe namabhuloho amaningi. Kwakusetshenzwa amahora ayishumi ngosuku, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi liyana, kunodaka noma liyakhithika.
Ekugcineni ngo-November 7, 1885, kwabethelwa isipikili sokugcina e-Eagle Pass eBritish Columbia ngasentshonalanga, kodwa akuzange kube nakuhalalisa okutheni. Lesi siteshi sethiwa ngokuthi iCraigellachie, okuyigama lomuzi okwakuba nemijaho kuwo eScotland, owawaziwa ngokuqina kwawo ezikhathini ezinzima. Lapho ecelwa ukuba athi fahla-fahla, umphathi-jikelele we-CPR wamane wathi: “Engingakusho nje ukuthi lo msebenzi wenziwe kahle ngazo zonke izindlela.”
Umphumela Wawo Emphakathini
Izinkulungwane zezisebenzi zaseChina ezangeniswa ezweni ngenxa yalo msebenzi zaqinisekiswa ngokuthi zaziyohlale zinomsebenzi kwaloliwe. Lo msebenzi wawuyingozi, ikakhulukazi eziNtabeni ZaseRocky. Izisebenzi eziningi zakwazi ukuqongelela imali eyanele yokuphindela ekhaya ngemva kweminyaka eminingi kuqedwe umsebenzi wokwakha lo jantshi.
Ngenxa yokwakhiwa kwalo jantshi, izimboni nezentengiselwano zathuthela ngasentshonalanga, okwaba nomthelela omkhulu endleleni yokuphila evamile. Kwakhiwa amadolobha namadolobhana, futhi abantu bomdabu bathuthelwa ezabelweni. Emizileni emidala yezohwebo kwavalwa amabhizinisi amancane, njengezindawo ezidayisa utshwala eduze kwemigwaqo. Okuhle ukuthi kuthiwa isitimela “sakhulula umphakathi ebugqilini bokuhamba ebhuqwini nasodakeni” kanye “nasekugqilazweni ubusika.” Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukudla okwakuvela emazweni aseMpumalanga kuya ogwini lwasePacific eCanada kwakufinyelela emadolobheni asempumalanga ngemva kwezinsuku ezimbalwa nje.
Nakuba izitimela zisafeza indima enkulu ekuthwaleni impahla kulo lonke elaseCanada, ukusetshenziswa kakhulu kwezimoto nezindiza kuye kwabanciphisa abagibeli bazo. Noma kunjalo, abantu abaningi bajabulela ukubalekela ukuphila okumatasa kwekhulu lama-21 ngokugibela isitimela esinethezekile futhi babuke ubuhle bendalo besuka eToronto beya eVancouver. Kunokuba kwenze ukuphila kusheshe njengoba kwakunjalo ngaphambili, ukuhamba ngesitimela kunika abagibeli ithuba lokukhululeka nokucabanga ngomlando othakazelisayo kajantshi kuyilapho besuka kolunye ugu beya kolunye “ngebhande lensimbi” laseCanada.
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UKUTSHELA ABANYE NGETHEMBA LETHU “EBHANDENI LENSIMBI”
Isitimela siseyindlela eyinhloko yokufinyelela kweminye imiphakathi yaseCanada, ngakho oFakazi BakaJehova basisebenzisela ukufinyelela izindawo ezisemajukujukwini ngomyalezo weBhayibheli ophathelene nohulumeni woMbuso kaNkulunkulu. (Isaya 9:6, 7; Mathewu 6:9, 10) OFakazi bayachaza: “Kulula ukuxoxa ngeBhayibheli esitimeleni, ngoba abantu bafisa ukwazi ukuthi siyaphi futhi siyokwenzani lapho.”
Ekhuluma ngohambo lwesitimela lokuya esabelweni sase-Ojibwa eduze kweChibi iNipigon elisenyakatho ye-Ontario, uFakazi othile uthi: “Nakuba kwakukuhle ukubona imvelo nezilwane, into esiyikhumbula kakhulu abantu esahlangana nabo. Ngenxa yokuthi abavamile ukuvakashelwa, ukufika kwethu kwabangela isasasa elikhulu. Abanye basiboleka izikebhe zabo, futhi savunyelwa ukuba sisebenzise igumbi lokufundela mahhala. Ngemva kokushumayela usuku lonke, amalungu omphakathi ahlangana ezobukela i-video ephathelene nomsebenzi wethu wokushumayela emhlabeni wonke.”
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USir John A. Macdonald
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Ukwakha ujantshi kwakuwumsebenzi onzima
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Kwadingeka ukuba kwakhiwe amabhuloho nemihubhe eminingi enqamula ezintabeni
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Ukubethelwa kwesipikili sokugcina kwaqedela ujantshi onqamula elaseCanada
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Ukugibela “ibhande lensimbi” namuhla
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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.