The Empress of Ireland and her sister were built by Fairfield in Glasgow for Canadian Pacific's mail and passenger service between Liverpool and Quebec, which she joined in 1906. Fast and comfortable, she carried many thousands of emigrants to a new life in Canada during her eight years at sea.
Shortly before two o'clock on the morning of 29 May 1914, outward bound for Liverpool, she met the Norwegian coal carrier Storstad in dense fog on the St. Lawrence near Rimouski. The collier struck her deep in the starboard side, and the liner heeled over so quickly that only a handful of lifeboats could be lowered – although, after the Titanic, there were enough for everyone. Within about a quarter of an hour she was gone. 1,012 lives were lost out of 1,477 on board – still the worst peacetime shipping disaster in Canadian history. Her wreck lies in about 40 metres of water and is protected as a historic site.
