The Forgotten Empress: Centenary of Empress of Ireland tragedy commemorated in Halifax

The Salvation Army joined with the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic on Thursday to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Empress of Ireland, considered the greatest maritime disaster in Canadian history.

A grand ocean liner, the RMS Empress of Ireland sunk on the early morning hours of May 29, 1914, after colliding with a Norwegian steam ship in dense fog, in the St. Lawrence River near Rimouski, Que. Nearly 1,200 people died in the accident. Among the dead were over 150 members of The Salvation Army, including almost the entirety of the country’s senior leadership and The Salvation Army’s staff band, who had been en route to an international congress in England.

Thursday’s ceremony included music from a Salvation Army brass ensemble under the direction of band master Peter Van der Horden, as well as remarks from Rob Rondeau, marine archeologist, and Major Alison Cowling, Divisional Commander of The Salvation Army. The event also included a memorial moment of silence, while the band played the seafaring hymn “Eternal Father, Strong to Save”.

“Often known as the ‘Forgotten Empress’, the tragic sinking of the Empress of Ireland and the memory of those whose lives were cut short must never be forgotten,” Major Cowling told the gathered crowd. “Today we honour those who drowned on the Empress of Ireland.”

The ceremony in Halifax was just one of many commemorations across the country. The largest of these is in Rimouski, Que., with the national leadership of The Salvation Army and the Canadian staff band paying tribute to all of the victims of the accident, including their predecessors 100 years ago.