Njanji Yochoka Kunyanja Kukafikanso Kunyanja

PAFUPIFUPI zaka 150 zapitazo, chigawo chachikulu cha dziko la Canada, lomwe ndi dziko lachiwiri lalikulu kwambiri padziko lonse, chinali thengo lokhalokha. Katswiri wina wa mbiri yakale dzina lake Pierre Berton, anati: “Anthu ambiri m’dzikoli anali alimi ndipo ankakhala kumadera akumidzi imene inali yotalikiranatalikirana. Misewu yambiri sinali yabwino, choncho zinali zovuta kuyenda maulendo ataliatali.” Zinalinso zovuta kuyenda panyanja ndi m’mitsinje, chifukwa nthawi yozizira madzi ake ankaundana pafupifupi miyezi isanu chaka chilichonse.

Chifukwa cha mavuto amenewa, mu 1871 nduna yaikulu ya dziko la Canada dzina lake Sir John Macdonald anaganiza zomanga njanji kuyambira kunyanja ya Atlantic mpaka kukafika kunyanja ya Pacific. Dziko la America linali litamanga kale njanji yotereyi m’chaka cha 1869. Koma kumanga njanji yotereyi m’dziko la Canada kunali kovutirapo chifukwa dzikoli linalibe ndalama zokwanira. Komanso njanjiyi inafunika kukhala yaitali kwambiri ndiponso chiwerengero cha anthu m’dzikoli chinali chochepa kwambiri poyerekezera ndi chiwerengero cha anthu m’dziko la America. Choncho, mtsogoleri wina wa ndale ku Canada ananena kuti Sir John Macdonald “ankaganiza moperewera.” Wandale winanso analankhula monyoza kuti kenako ndunayo iyamba kunena kuti apange njanji yokafika kumwezi.

Inali Ntchito Yofuna Ndalama Zambiri

Komabe, boma linalonjeza kuti pomatha zaka 10 likhala litamaliza ntchito imeneyi. Katswiri wina womanga njanji wa ku Scotland, dzina lake Sandford Fleming, ananena kuti pakufunika ndalama zokwana madola a ku Canada 100 miliyoni kuti ntchitoyi ithe. Zimenezi zinali ndalama zochuluka zedi masiku amenewo. Ngati mbali ina ya njanjiyi ikanadutsa m’dziko la America, zikanachepetsako mtunda woti njanjiyo idutse komanso ntchitoyo ikanapepukirapo. Koma Macdonald anaumirira kuti njanji yonseyo idutse m’dziko la Canada, kuopera kuti ingadzawonongedwe ngati m’dziko la America mutabuka nkhondo.

Makampani ambiri sankafuna kugwira ntchito imeneyi chifukwa ankaopa kuti ndalama zawo zilowa m’madzi. Komabe, m’chaka cha 1875 kampani ya Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) inayamba ntchito yomanga njanjiyi. Patadutsa zaka 10, ntchitoyi inkafuna kuimira panjira. Kampaniyi inkafunika kubweza ngongole yokwana madola 400,000 pa July 10 nthawi ya 3 koloko masana, koma inalibe ndalamazi. Mwamwayi pofika 2 koloko masana tsiku lomwelo, Nyumba ya Malamulo ya dziko la Canada inagwirizana zokongoza kampaniyo ndalamazo. Zimenezi zinapangitsa kuti ntchitoyo ipitirire.

Mavuto Amene Analipo Pomanga Njanjiyi

Pomanga njanjiyi kumpoto kwa chigawo cha Ontario, atangokumba pang’ono anapeza kuti pansi ponse panali chimwala. Choncho ankachita kukatenga dothi kutali n’kumalibweretsa kuderali. M’chigawo chapakati cha dziko la Canada kunja kunkazizira kwambiri mpaka madzi ankaundana, ndipo zimenezi zinabweretsa mavuto ambiri pa ntchitoyi. Komanso kunkagwa chipale chofewa chambiri  chomwe chinkaunjikana ngati mapiri. Chigawo cha m’mapiri a Rocky, chomwe chili kumadzulo kwa dzikoli, chinali choopsa kwambiri moti anachitchula kuti “malo amene imfa imabwera popanda odi.” Pomanga njanjiyi m’chigawo chimenechi, anafunika kukumba ngalande zambiri za pansi pa nthaka ndiponso kumanga milatho. Ankagwira ntchito maola 10 tsiku lililonse, kaya kukhale mvula, matope, kapena chipale chofewa.

Kenako ntchitoyi inatha pa November 7, 1885 koma sanachite chimwambo chapadera pokondwerera kutha kwa ntchitoyi. Inathera pamalo otchedwa Eagle Pass, m’chigawo cha British Columbia, kumadzulo kwa dziko la Canada. Pamalowa anakhazikitsapo malo okwerera sitima ndipo anawapatsa dzina lakuti Craigellachie. Dzinali linachokera ku mudzi winawake wa ku Scotland womwe anthu ankakumanako zinthu zikavuta, ndipo ankauona kuti ndi chizindikiro cha kulimba mtima. Mkulu wa kampani ya CPR atapemphedwa kuti alankhulepo, anangonena kuti: “Chimene ndinganene n’chakuti ntchito yonse yayenda bwino.”

Mmene Njanjiyi Yakhudzira Anthu

Boma linabweretsa anthu ambiri ochokera ku China kuti adzagwire nawo ntchito yomanga njanjiyi, ndipo linawatsimikizira kuti akhala ndi ntchito yodalirika. Koma kawirikawiri ntchito yake inali yoopsa makamaka m’mapiri a Rocky. Ndipo ntchitoyi itatha, panapita zaka zambiri kuti ambiri mwa anthuwa apeze ndalama zobwererera kwawo.

Njanjiyi itamangidwa ntchito zamalonda zinayamba kufalikiranso kumadera a kumadzulo kwa dzikoli. Zimenezi zinasokoneza chikhalidwe cha  anthu. Kunakhazikitsidwa matauni ndi mizinda ndipo eni nthaka anasamutsidwira kumalo amene anakhazikitsidwa ndi boma. Malonda anasokonezeka m’madera amene kale anthu ankachitiramo malondawa. Mwachitsanzo, mabizinesi ang’onoang’ono, monga ogulitsa mowa m’mphepete mwa msewu, anatsekedwa. Koma akuti njanjiyi inathandiza “kuti anthu asamayendenso m’misewu yodzaza ndi fumbi ndi matope, ndiponso asamavutike akamayenda m’nyengo yozizira.” Njanjiyi inathandizanso kuti zakudya zochokera kumayiko a ku Asia zikafika kugombe la nyanja ya Pacific zisamachedwe kufika kumizinda ya kum’mawa kwa Canada.

Ngakhale kuti sitima zimanyamulabe katundu wambiri kupititsa m’madera osiyanasiyana m’dzikoli, anthu ambiri sakwera sitima chifukwa cha kuchuluka kwa magalimoto ndi ndege. Koma anthu amakwerabe sitimazi akafuna kusiya kaye ntchito zawo n’kukasangalala kwinakwake. Ambiri amakwera sitima zawofuwofu n’kuyenda ulendo wautali kuchokera ku Toronto kukafika ku Vancouver, ndipo m’njira amaona zinthu zambiri zosangalatsa. Kale njanjiyi inkachititsa kuti anthu azichita zinthu mofulumira. Koma masiku ano imathandiza anthu kuti apume komanso aziganizira mbiri yochititsa chidwi ya njanjiyi pamene akuyenda kuchokera kunyanja kukafika kunyanja ina.

[Bokosi/Chithunzi patsamba 18]

KULALIKIRA M’SITIMA ZOYENDA M’NJANJIYI

M’madera ena a m’dziko la Canada, anthu ambiri amakwerabe sitima. Choncho, Mboni za Yehova zimakwera sitimazi zikafuna kukalalikira uthenga wa m’Baibulo wonena za Ufumu wa Mulungu, kumidzi yakutali. (Yesaya 9:6, 7; Mateyo 6:9, 10) Mbonizi zinanena kuti: “Zimakhala zosavuta kulalikira m’sitima chifukwa anthu amafuna kudziwa kumene tikupita komanso zimene tikukachita kumeneko.”

Munthu wina wa Mboni anafotokoza zimene zinachitika ali paulendo wa pa sitima wopita kudera linalake kumpoto kwa chigawo cha Ontario, pafupi ndi nyanja ya Nipigon komwe kumakhala anthu a fuko la Ojibwa. Iye anati: “Tinaona malo ndi nyama zam’tchire zokongola kwambiri. Koma chimene chinatisangalatsa kwambiri ndi anthu amene tinakumana nawo. Popeza kuti m’derali simubwera alendo ambiri, anthu anachita nafe chidwi kwambiri. Ena anatibwereka mabwato ndiponso anatilola kugwiritsa ntchito makalasi a pasukulu inayake popanda kulipira chilichonse. Titalalikira tsiku lonse, kunabwera anthu ambiri kuti adzaonere vidiyo yonena za ntchito yathu yolalikira yomwe imachitika padziko lonse.”

[Chithunzi patsamba 16]

Sir John Macdonald

[Chithunzi patsamba 17]

Ntchito yomanga njanji inali yovuta kwambiri

[Chithunzi patsamba 17]

Anamanga milatho komanso ngalande zambiri za pansi pa nthaka zodutsa m’mapiri

[Chithunzi patsamba 17]

Mapeto a ntchito yomanga njanji yaitali kwambiri ku Canada

[Chithunzi patsamba 18]

Sitima ikudutsa panjanjiyi masiku ano

[Chithunzi patsamba 16]

Top: Canadian Pacific Railway (A17566); middle: Library and Archives Canada/C-006513

[Mawu a Chithunzi patsamba 17]

Top, left to right: Canadian Pacific Railway (NS13561-2); Canadian Pacific Railway (NS7865); Library and Archives Canada/PA-066576; bottom: Canadian Pacific Railway (NS1960)

[Mawu a Chithunzi patsamba 18]

Top: Canadian National Railway Company; right: Courtesy VIA Rail Canada Inc.