The Empress of Ireland was a Canadian Pacific Railway steamship in active service from 1906 until its collision with another ship in the early hours of May 29, 1914. Although its sinking constitutes the worst maritime disaster in Canadian history, the event was overshadowed by the onslaught of the First World War. Last October, the Royal Alberta Museum acquired a 50-piece collection salvaged from the wreck; those artifacts form the core of the Museum’s newest exhibit Lost Ship, Recovered Voyages: The Empress of Ireland.

The exhibition is an attempt to restore the ocean liner’s rightful place in the Canadian consciousness. Opening on the 94th anniversary of the Empress’ sinking, the gallery will feature relics salvaged in 1964, including dining room ceramics, glassware, and fragments of furnishings and navigational equipment. The display also explores the ship’s compelling connections to Alberta. Fifty Albertans were counted among the dead, and many European settlers who eventually found their way to Alberta made their Atlantic crossing on The Empress of Ireland before embarking on the Canadian Pacific Railway at Quebec for points west.

“This collection provides a fascinating glimpse into the immigration experience of the time,” said the Royal Alberta Museum’s Director, Bruce McGillivray. “Travel was long, arduous and often dangerous, and those who made the journey often scaled even greater obstacles upon arrival - building lives against all odds. Their stories are fascinating and inspiring, and worth knowing.”

Lost Ship, Recovered Voyages: The Empress of Ireland is on display at the Royal Alberta Museum from May 28 through October 5, 2008. For further information, please call 453-9100.

Publication Date: 7/2008