Remembering ‘Canada’s Titanic’
May 29, 2014, marks the 100th anniversary of Canada’s greatest maritime tragedy, the sinking of the Empress of Ireland near Rimouski, Que.
Of the 1,477 passengers, only 465 survived. The Salvation Army lost more than 100 members, including its senior leadership and most of its national band.
The tragedy has never been far from the minds of members and friends of The Salvation Army. A monument was built by The Salvation Army at Toronto’s Mount Pleasant Cemetery and, each year since 1916, on the Sunday closest to the anniversary of the disaster, The Salvation Army gathers at the memorial to recognize those whose lives were lost or forever changed that fateful morning.
On May 31, 2014, in commemoration of the 100th anniversary, Salvation Army national leaders and its Canadian staff band will hold a complimentary reception at the Hôtel des Gouverneurs in Rimouski to honour survivors and the lost.
For more information on the Empress of Ireland commemorative events, click here.