Parks Canada staff raised concerns about a wave of emails from activists demanding revisions to federal plaques and commemorations of the Canadian Pacific Railway, newly released records show.Internal correspondence reveals officials were responding to persistent lobbying by Chinese Canadian and indigenous advocates who called for broader recognition of non-European contributions to the railway’s construction. The pressure followed a 2019 federal directive requiring historical narratives to address themes such as colonialism, patriarchy, and racism.One staff member noted repeated requests from an activist archivist pushing for acknowledgment of Chinese labourers. Others called for references to indigenous hunting and trading routes, as well as Japanese workers who died during railway construction in Rogers Pass..In a September 2023 email, a Parks Canada director wrote that the agency was reviewing plaques that “no longer reflect today’s values or historical scholarship,” adding that many contained “outdated or offensive language” or failed to include those “impacted or involved.”A plaque at Craigellachie, B.C., commemorating the 1885 driving of the Last Spike — long framed as a moment of national unity — was among those targeted. The current version praises engineering feats and names surveyor Walter Moberly, but omits any mention of Chinese labour or Indigenous knowledge.A draft revision prepared by Parks Canada includes new references to Shuswap and Lakes First Nations, as well as Chinese workers who played a key role in building the line west of the pass. It also acknowledges that many labourers died during the project..One activist warned that failure to revise the commemorations would trigger a public letter-writing campaign, while another urged Parks Canada to overhaul its entire designation system to root out colonial bias. A manager noted that Japanese workers also contributed to the railway, including 32 who died in a 1910 avalanche in Rogers Pass.The Eagle Pass historical designation remains under review as part of a larger reassessment of more than 2,000 federal commemorations. That work follows the 2019 Framework For History And Commemoration, which calls on government to confront the legacies of colonialism and systemic inequality in Canadian heritage.Separately, Canadian Heritage has contracted indigenous elders to help rewrite its museum policy, citing concerns that exhibits remain too colonial. The review aims to ensure museums reflect “equity, diversion and inclusion” and recognize the unique perspectives of Indigenous communities.
