The effects on the Kettle Valley railway labour pool

This research paper looks at the construction of the Kettle Valley Railway during World War One in the time period of 1910-1916. This paper questions how labour within the building of the KVR was affected due to the ignition of WW1. The KVR played a pivotal role in transportation of people and goods throughout its time of operation, however, looking at who made this railway and contributed to its success is critical. My thesis statement is “The Kettle Valley Railway provides a critical lens of workforce transformations during World War One with regards to the use of immigrant workers, the legislation affecting labour and women’s inclusion along the railroad.” This study is important as labour forces were heavily affected as many workers were immigrant workers from Eastern European countries causing a clash between “whites” and “foreigners.” In addition, this research paper takes a deep dive into what the working conditions were like while the construction occurred and within the camps setting along the line. Legislation played a critical role towards labour for example the Canadian Immigration Act of 1906 restricted the use of Asian workers so much so that there was said to be no Asian workers along the line at all. Finally, women’s roles along the line proved highly valuable. Even though no women stepped foot into the engineer position they provided community stability when men went off to work along the line. Overall, his paper provides in-depth research towards labour along the KVR through many respective lenses. Essay submission was sponsored by Dr. Julian Brooks, (Humanities and Social Sciences Department) for course HIST 3321 and was presented at the Coquitlam campus on April 9, 2024, for Student Research Days 2024.