Canadian Pacific Railway controversies

Class-action lawsuit alleges CN and CP railways contributed to Lytton wildfire

Lawsuit filed

A proposed class-action lawsuit alleges Canadian Pacific and Canadian National railways caused or contributed to the wildfire that destroyed the Village of Lytton, British Columbia. The statement of claim alleges the fire was set off by heat or sparks from a CP freight train operated by CN employees on CN-owned tracks; the allegations have not been established as findings.

Pacific Scandal

Improper financial dealings and contracting arrangements involving politicians and railway promoters became known as the Pacific Scandal. The affair contributed to the fall of John A. Macdonald's Conservative government and reshaped the early process of building the transcontinental railway.

Construction labor and Indigenous impacts

The railway's construction depended on dangerous and highly unequal labor arrangements, including the recruitment of thousands of Chinese workers in British Columbia who received very low wages and performed hazardous blasting and tunnel work. The railway's expansion and associated settlement policies also had profound effects on Indigenous lands, communities, and mobility. The reference material does not identify a single discrete incident date for these impacts.