Shipwrecks and other marine incidents
Canada has a long history of shipping on its lakes, rivers, and coasts, and sometimes accidents happen. You can search Library and Archives Canada’s (LAC) collection for records on shipwrecks and other marine incidents in Canadian waters, as well as cases involving Canadian civilian ships abroad. The collection includes investigation reports, books, and other government records.
This guide deals specifically with civilian shipwrecks, not military shipwrecks.
On this page
Before You Start
Gather as much information as possible, such as:
- Name of the ship
- Location of the accident
- Date of the accident
Places to look
Published sources
Searching the published collection
Search our library catalogue, Aurora, for books, newspapers, and government documents that could help you start your research. You can start with a basic search by entering keywords in the search field available on every page.
Ship names are often the same as personal names or common terms. Adding a nautical term will help narrow your results. Try terms like ship, steamship, or vessel.
For more precise results, use Advanced search. Searching by subject is often the most useful option.
On the Advanced search page:
- Change the first “Search index” drop-down from “Keyword” to “Subject”
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Enter your subject heading keywords in the search field, for example:
- Ships: Empress of Ireland (steamship)
- Accidents: shipwrecks or marine accidents (a broader term for any accident at sea, including things like drilling platforms)
- To use both terms, use OR (marine accidents OR shipwrecks)
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You can refine further by adding:
- A ship name: shipwrecks Pollux
- A place or geographic location: shipwrecks Lake Superior, marine accidents Nova Scotia, or (marine accidents OR shipwrecks) AND British Columbia
- Click the Search button or press Enter on your keyboard
Once you have a list of results, you can refine them further by using filters on the left-hand side, such as format or date.
Clicking on an item opens its complete description. This includes useful details like the full list of subjects, which can help you expand or refine your search.
Learn more about how to search the library catalogue in Using Aurora.
Newspapers
Newspapers are an excellent source of information on shipwrecks and marine disasters.
For well-known wrecks, such as the Empress of Ireland, try national newspapers like The Globe and Mail. For lesser-known accidents, look for newspapers as close to the location of the wreck as possible.
Find more information, see how to search newspapers in Aurora or learn about how to access newspapers on microform.
The following subscription databases are available to clients at LAC locations from any public workstation:
- The Globe and Mail: Canada's Heritage from 1844
- Newspaper Archive (1607–)
- Paper of Record (1752–2004)
- Toronto Star: Pages of the Past (1894–)
Annual reports
Information on shipwrecks was also published by the Government of Canada in the Annual Report of the Department of Marine. Most years include summaries of the total number of wrecks and the costs of investigations. In some years, only summary information is available. Annual reports from 1867 to 1930 are available online. Reports from 1930 onward are available in hard copy only.
1867/68 to 1883
Annual reports and supplements are available as PDFs through the Government of Canada Publications portal:
- Go to Annual report of the Department of Marine and Fisheries for the year ...
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Click to expand the year you are interested in.
- Note: The date you see in this list is the publication date, which is usually the year after the date of the information it presents. For example, wrecks from 1880 appear in the 1881 report.
- Once you have opened a PDF, use the search function (or CTRL-F) to search for “Statement of Wrecks and Casualties” or for the name of the ship you’re looking for.
1884 to 1931
Annual reports and supplements are available online on Canadiana.ca and the Internet Archive.
1930/31–
Printed annual reports were published by the Department of Marine until 1936, which became part of the Department of Transport (later Transport Canada).
- Canada. Department of Marine. 1930/31-1935/36. “Annual report of the Dept. Of Marine.” Ottawa: King's Printer.
- Canada. Department of Transport. 1936/37-1973/74. “Annual report of the Dept. Of Transport.” Ottawa: Printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty.
- Canada. Transport Canada. 1971/72-1990/91. “Annual report.” [Ottawa] Transport Canada = Transports Canada.
After 1991, annual reports become part of the Estimates. Please Ask us a reference question if you are looking for a report published after this date.
Royal Commissions and commissions of inquiry
Along with the material in our archival collection, we also hold published materials for the following commissions of inquiry or Royal Commissions:
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Empress of Ireland
- Canada . Commission of inquiry into casualty to British steamship "Empress of Ireland" and John Charles Bigham Mersey. 1914. Report and Evidence of the Commission of Inquiry into the Loss of the British Steamship “Empress of Ireland” of Liverpool (O.no.123972) through Collision with the Norwegian Steamship “Storstad,” Quebec, June, 1914 ... Ottawa: Printed by J. de L. Tache. Online version.
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Ocean Ranger Marine Disaster
- Royal Commission on the Ocean Ranger Marine Disaster (Canada). 1984. Royal Commission on the Ocean Ranger Marine Disaster [Transcripts]. Toronto: Micromedia Limited.
- Royal Commission on the Ocean Ranger Marine Disaster (Canada), T. A. Hickman, and International Conference on Safety Offshore Eastern Canada (1984: St. John’s, Nfld.). 1984–1985. Royal Commission on the Ocean Ranger Marine Disaster = Commission Royale Sur Le Désastre Marin de l’Océan Ranger [Reports]. Ottawa: Royal Commission on the Ocean Ranger Marine Disaster. Online version.
- United States. Coast Guard. Marine Board of Investigation. 1984–. Marine casualty report: Mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU) Ocean Ranger, O.N. 615641, capsizing and sinking in the Atlantic Ocean, on 15 February 1982 with multiple loss of life: U.S. Coast Guard, Marine Board of Investigation report and Commandant's action. [Washington, D.C.]: U.S. Department of Transportation, United States Coast Guard; Springfield, Va.: National Technical Information Service, distributor]. Online version.
Archival collections
Government records
Different aspects of shipwrecks and other marine incidents have been the responsibility of various government departments. The records listed below provide a starting point for research on this topic. The scope and content or administrative history sections of each archival description will help you understand what is included in each collection and which files may be most useful.
To search within a series or sub-series, click on a link below, and select View lower-level descriptions. On the search results page, click on Modify search and enter keywords related to your search, such as a ship name or accident location. This method works well for collections with individual reports or named ships, but it may not work for all of them. For more general guidance, see Using Collection search.
Receiver of Wreck
The Receiver of Wreck is responsible for managing all aspects of shipwrecks in Canadian waters. This includes finding owners, organizing clean-up operations, and more. Trinity House first handled this role, followed by the Department of Marine (1868–1936). Transport Canada took over after 1936.
The most important files can be found in:
- Department of Marine – Dominion Wreck Commissioner series
- Department of Marine – Consecutively numbered headquarters registry system series
- Department of Marine – Subject file classification system series
- Department of Transport (Transport Canada (TC) – Marine Casualty Investigations
- Department of Transport (TC) – Central registry files of Marine Group Series
Safety investigations
Safety investigations look at what happened in an incident, why it happened, and how to prevent it in the future. Sometimes regulatory and safety investigations were combined. The Department of Marine handled the investigations from 1868 to 1936. Safety investigations were handled by Transport Canada from 1936 to 1990. They have since become the responsibility of the Transportation Safety Board.
Some of the most helpful files can be found in:
- Department of Marine – Dominion Wreck Commissioner series
- Department of Marine – Princess Sophia Inquiry series
- Department of Marine – Empress of Ireland Inquiry series
- Department of Marine – Consecutively numbered headquarters registry system series
- Department of Marine – Subject file classification system series
- Department of Transport (TC) – Marine Casualty Investigations series
- Department of Transport (TC) – Central registry files of Marine Group series
- Transportation Safety Board – Occurrence Reporting files series
- Transportation Safety Board – Laboratory records series
- Royal Commission on the Ocean Ranger Marine Disaster fonds
Regulatory investigations
Regulatory investigations check whether laws or rules were broken, who was at fault, and what consequences are needed. The Department of Marine handled these investigations from 1868 to 1936. Transport Canada has been responsible since then.
You can find the results of these investigations here:
- Department of Marine – Consecutively numbered headquarters registry system series
- Department of Marine – Subject file classification system series
- Department of Transport (TC) – Canadian Steamship Inspection Services series
- Department of Transport (TC) – Marine Safety Directorate series
- Department of Transport (TC) – Central registry files of Marine Group series
Search and rescue
Search and rescue programs find and help people in danger on the water. Responsibility for marine search and rescue has shifted over time:
- 1868–1936: Department of Marine
- 1936–1962: Department of Transport
- 1962–1996: Canadian Coast Guard under Transport Canada
- 1996–2025: Canadian Coast Guard under Fisheries and Oceans Canada
- 2026–: Canadian Coast Guard under Department of National Defence.
The marine search and rescue program files are:
- Department of Marine – Consecutively numbered headquarters registry system series
- Department of Transport (TC) – Central registry files of Marine Group series
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Department of Transport (TC) – Canadian Coast Guard series
- Includes collections organized geographically by base location
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Canadian Coast Guard (Department of Fisheries and Oceans) – Canadian Coast Guard sous-fonds
- Sub-series are organized by region and the Coast Guard College
- Department of National Defence – Rescue Coordination Centre, Trenton series
- Department of National Defence – Maritime Forces Atlantic series
- Department of National Defence – Maritime Forces Pacific series
Registration of vessels
For additional records relating to shipwrecks, it can be helpful to look at the ship registration files and ownership. You can consult our guide to Ship registrations and related records for more information on this topic.
Marine personnel
Documents relating to the management of marine personnel, such as pilots, masters, mates, and engineers focus on training, testing, and qualification. They provide a useful reference for the rules and standards marine personnel must know to perform their duties safely.
Those files can be found in these series:
- Department of Marine – Marine certificates series
- Department of Marine – St. Lawrence river pilot’s certificates series
- Department of Marine – Montreal pilot certificates series
- Department of Marine – Examination for Marine Engineers series
- Department of Marine – Subject file classification system Series
- Department of Marine – Consecutively numbered headquarters registry system series
- Department of Transport (TC) – Central registry of seamen series
- Department of Transport (TC) – Registers of Marine Certificate series
- Department of Transport (TC) – Canadian Coast Guard series
- Department of Transport (TC) – Central registry files of Marine Group series
Private fonds
More information about ships, their personnel, their various activities, and some incidents can be found in several private company fonds. As with the government archives, the scope and contents or administrative history sections of the archival descriptions will give you an idea of what is included in each collection. You can then browse the available files to find what is useful.
Canadian National Railways fonds
The Canadian National (CN) fonds (RG30/R231) contains information on marine activities. Some records document incidents (including shipwrecks) involving its passenger steamships and merchant ships. Canadian National Railways previously operated several subsidiary companies, including Canadian Government Merchant Marine Limited, Canadian National Steamships Limited, and CN Marine.
Here are some of the collections we recommend for broader research on this topic:
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Canadian National Steamships and related companies
- The records (1925–1979) cover all aspects of shipping operations including wages, passenger manifests, ordering, ship construction and sales, accident investigations and repairs, technical data, tariffs and freight rates, timetables, personnel and labour relations, ship plans, reports and accounts, crew lists, journals and ledgers.
- Records of the Office of the Secretary
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Records of CN Headquarters
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Marine Operations Records relating to ferries, steamships, docks, shipyards, and canals
- Volumes 11518–11523 have records relating to the Canadian National Railways services in Newfoundland from 1949 to 1960. They include extensive documentation on CN steamship services in Newfoundland and Labrador, such as correspondence, memos, drawings of ships and ports of call (particularly along the Labrador coast). The volumes also contain information on crew salaries, some steamship schedules for 1957–1958, a report on the St. John's Drydock that includes 15 photographs and various drawings, and petitions from various communities in favour of receiving steamship service.
- Additional records include material on the Prince Rupert Drydock (including photos and plans, Vol. 15551); plans and textual records relating to Halifax wharves and Western Canada Car Ferry slips (Vol. 11560); and 50 photographs documenting the construction of the Abegweit car ferry for service between Cape Tormentine to Prince Edward Island in 1946 (Vol. 11566). Other files contain textual records on steamship services in Eastern and Western Canada and the West Indies, including employee names, occupations, and pay scales from the 1940s, as well as ship plans for three ferries (Milwaukee, Madison, and Grand Rapids) operated by the Grand Trunk Western Railway in the 1940s (Vol. 11573).
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Marine Operations Records relating to ferries, steamships, docks, shipyards, and canals
Notable ships lost by Canadian National include:
- The R.M.S. Lady Drake and the R.M.S. Lady Hawkins, which were sunk by German U-boats in 1942 during the Second World War.
- The MV William Carson, an 8,000-ton ferry considered the pride of the CN fleet, sank off Battle Harbour, Labrador, after striking an iceberg on June 2, 1977.
While there may be some information available in the CN fonds relating to the loss of these ships, it is still recommended that the researcher look within the Department of Transport fonds (as listed above).
Norman Paterson Corporate and Family fonds
N.M. Paterson Company Ltd. (and related companies) was a shipping company that began operations in 1908. Its Steamship Division, Paterson Steamships Limited, operated from 1926 to 2002. In the 1930s, the company had a fleet of over 30 vessels that transported grain to various Canadian provinces, the United States, and Europe. Sixteen Paterson vessels left the Great Lakes for wartime service during the Second World War, and seven were lost.
Information about accidents involving these steamships is available in the Marine accidents, damages and repairs files.
Additional files about shipping operations and personnel can be found in the following locations:
Photographs
Photos of ships can be found by searching for the ship’s name in Collection search.
The following collections may contain digitized photographs of ships, including some shipwrecks, as well as related information on ship histories.
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George Ayoub fonds
- Photographs: There is a finding aid that provides detailed descriptions of ship names included in a portion of the more than 20,000 photographs in the fonds
- Notes related to the Study of Ships
- Reference material
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Andrew Merrilees fonds
- Note: This is a very large fonds, and not everything is described properly, and not all finding aids are complete. However, there are a few locations worth looking at.
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A.E. Young marine collection and other photographs of North American railways
- Andrew E. Young & Frank T. Patyk views, and other images of marine vessels (Over 7000 photos linked as lower-level descriptions, and many are digitized)
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Clifford M. Johnston fonds
- There are many lower-level linked descriptions (some digitized) of ships and there is a related finding aid. You can find it in the Finding aid section of the record.
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John Harold Micklethwaite fonds
- Photographs and illustrations
Note: While there are approximately 66,445 photographs, including about 53,334 in colour, only 3,300 have been described, and just 1,500 are available to view online. A much smaller portion of these photographs relates to marine activities in the Muskoka Lakes region.
- Photographs and illustrations
Other specialized media
Other documents such as sketches, maps, or blueprints related to ships and any incidents in which they might have been involved may also be present. While these records are most often found within the associated textual files, they could also be archived separately. Consult the relevant finding aids for specific details. It is also important to note that much of this material has not yet been digitized.
Access the collection
Publications
Digitized publications
Some publications can be consulted online through Aurora, the Internet Archive, Canadiana or other similar sources, and links are provided when a digital version is available.
Non-digitized publications
Non-digitized publications in our collection need to be viewed in person at our service point in Ottawa. Learn more about how to order published material. You could also request a copy.
If you see a title in our catalogue that looks interesting, you can contact your local library to see if they have a copy or request it through their interlibrary loans service.
If that’s not possible and you can't visit us in person, you can order copies or hire a researcher.
Archival records
Digitized records
If you find a record of interest, there may be a digital image. Some of these are available through Collection search. Others, particularly digitized microforms, are available through Héritage.
Non-digitized records
References in Collection search show if a record is open (access code 90) or restricted (access code 32). To find the access code in an item description, click on Ordering and viewing options, then Conditions of access.
If the item is restricted, use the ATIP tool to request a copy.
For records that are not digitized but are open to the public, you will need to see them in person. If you can't visit us in person, you can order copies or hire a researcher.