Cold river water has preserved one of the most intact liner wrecks ever found in Canada, and the RMS Empress of Ireland still rests where she fell in the St. Lawrence River near Rimouski.
She lies on her starboard side at about a 65 degree angle in roughly 130 to 150 feet of water, with parts of the structure rising much shallower. The wreck is still largely intact, with the hull, engine and boiler spaces, cargo holds, rudder, and even a bronze propeller still visible. It is not a scattered debris field but a recognizable ship, though corrosion, currents, and time continue to break down her structure. The site is protected and also serves as a grave, with around 600 victims still inside, making it both an archaeological site and a place of remembrance.
The sinking happened in the early hours of May 29, 1914, after a collision with the Norwegian collier SS Storstad in thick fog. Storstad’s reinforced bow tore into the Empress on the starboard side near the boiler rooms, opening a massive hole below the waterline. Water rushed in immediately, and the ship developed a severe list that made it nearly impossible to close watertight doors or launch lifeboats properly. Within about 14 minutes, the liner rolled over and disappeared beneath the surface, leaving 1,012 dead out of 1,477 aboard, making it the worst peacetime maritime disaster in Canadian history.