05/29/2026
May 29, 1914 marked one of the darkest days in Canadian maritime history, when the Canadian Pacific ocean liner RMS Empress of Ireland sank near the mouth of the St. Lawrence River after colliding with the SS Storstad in heavy fog.
Of the 1,477 people aboard, 1,012 lost their lives, making it the worst peacetime marine disaster in Canadian history.
Among the dead were 167 members of the Salvation Army. Only 22 bodies were recovered and laid to rest at Toronto’s Mount Pleasant Cemetery.
In 1916, a powerful memorial was unveiled there. Designed by Salvation Army Major Gideon Miller and carved by sculptor Emanuel Hahn, it depicts a crowned cross rising above crashing waves, a moving symbol of faith and hope amid tragedy.
Each year since, the Salvation Army has held a special Sunday remembrance service at the site.
