Re: The Last Voyage of the Empress of Ireland (Part 1): ‘Canada’s Titanic,’ May 27.
A century ago, Canada was thrust into the headlines of newspapers around the world. For on May 29th, 1914, the Canadian Pacific passenger liner, the Empress of Ireland, sank in the St. Lawrence River just east of Rimouski, Quebec, with a loss of more than 1,000 lives.
Colliding with the Norwegian collier SS Storstad cargo ship carrying coal, the Empress sank in just 14 minutes in the early hours of the morning when most passengers were asleep.
Coming just two years after Titanic, this remains the Canada’s worst maritime loss of life in peacetime, and is second only to Titanic worldwide.
On this 100th anniversary, I hope Canadians reflect and remember this event, which touched individuals and families, not only in Canada but around the world.
Ted Ledingham, Nepean
