To commemorate the 110th anniversary of the sinking of the Empress of Ireland in May, representatives from The Salvation Army participated in a weekend of events at the invitation of officials from the Empress of Ireland Museum at Father’s Point in Rimouski, Que.

In the early morning of May 29, 1914, the Norwegian coal ship Storstad struck the CPR ocean liner the Empress of Ireland, sinking it in only 14 minutes. A total of 1,012 lives were lost, including 133 of the 161 Salvationists and members of the Canadian Staff Band (CSB) on board who were heading to an international congress in London, England, making this the single most significant event in the history of the Army in Canada.

In honour of the lost lives, a CSB ensemble presented a concert to a large crowd on the Saturday afternoon. Colonel John Chamness, chief secretary, delivered a gripping devotional based on the story of Horatio Spafford, the poet who wrote the song It Is Well With My Soul after losing his four daughters in a maritime disaster in the Atlantic Ocean. The band then played a stirring arrangement of the hymn as the audience reflected on the relevance of this music to the Empress tragedy. 

On Sunday morning, noted historian David St.-Pierre provided a guided bus tour that featured some of the history and places relating to the immediate aftermath, where the citizens of Rimouski galvanized to minister to the victims of the disaster. One of the many highlights was a stop at the Catholic cemetery where a memorial for victims of the tragedy has been erected, similar to the Salvation Army memorial at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto.

Majors Ron and Donna Millar, director of archives, and accessionist and archivist, respectively, at the Heritage Centre in Toronto, brought an original tablecloth from the Storstad that had been wrapped around the frozen and exhausted body of CSB survivor Alfred Keith when he was rescued from the icy depths of the St. Lawrence River. This became the feature item in a special display that was set up in the museum. Marilyn Hurd, a Salvationist from Oshawa, Ont., and a direct descendent of Alfred Keith, made the trip to Rimouski for the anniversary events, along with her husband, Bram.

The tour concluded at the monument for a time of devotion where Major Melisa Tardif, area commander for Quebec, Atlantic Division, delivered a powerful prayer of dedication and blessing.

“This event affirms the profound way in which the Army in Canada will forever be bonded with Rimouski, its museum, its people and its history,” says Major Ron Millar.