List of disasters in Canada by death toll

This list of Canadian disasters by death toll includes major disasters (excluding acts of war) that occurred on Canadian soil or involved Canadian citizens, in a definable incident, where the loss of life was 10 or more.

200 or more deaths

FatalitiesYearArticleTypeLocationComments60,000+2020–2024COVID-19PandemicCanadaIn October 2024, the Public Health Agency of Canada stopped updating COVID-19 statistics ~50,0001918-19201918 influenza pandemicPandemicCanada25,000+1982–presentHIV/AIDSPandemicCanadaOngoing ~20,0001847-1848Canadian typhusEpidemicCanada ~6,000-8,0001889-1891Russian fluPandemicCanada ~7,0001957-1958Asian fluPandemicCanada ~4,0001775Newfoundland Hurricane of 1775HurricaneNewfoundland ~4,0001968-1970Hong Kong fluPandemicCanada ~2,000-5,000 17001700 Cascadia earthquakeEarthquakeBritish Columbia True figures are undetermined.2,000~1700Tseax ConeVolcanic eruptionNorthwestern British Columbia2,0001917Halifax ExplosionExplosionHalifax, Nova ScotiaEstimate; 1,950 recorded names1,0121914RMS Empress of IrelandShipwreckSt. Lawrence River, Quebec8901711Quebec expedition (1711)ShipwreckQuebecFailed expedition that led to the drowning of about 89067620212021 Western North America heat waveHeat waveAlberta and British Columbia610 excess deaths in BC and 66 excess deaths in Alberta during the week500+1953PolioEpidemicCanada5621873RMS AtlanticShipwreckMars Island, Nova Scotia4282009-2010Swine fluPandemicCanadaout of 3 million Canadians infected3601758Duke WilliamShipwreckAtlantic Ocean near the coast of Franceduring the expulsion of the AcadiansLetter from Captain William Nichols dated December 16, 1758 says 360 passengers aboard the Duke William: London Magazine XXVII, p. 655.3531918SS Princess SophiaShipwreckNear Juneau, Alaskaen route from Vancouver and Victoria to northern BC and Alaska3401805AeneasShipwreckIsle aux Morts, Newfoundland3001758Letter from Captain William Nichols dated December 16, 1758 says 300 passengers aboard the Violet: London Magazine XXVII, p. 655.VioletShipwreckAtlantic Ocean near the coast of Englandduring the expulsion of the Acadians bound for France3161834SybelleShipwreckSt. Paul Island, Nova ScotiaEmigrant ship wreck3001885Great Labrador Gale of 1885HurricaneLabrador coast2751875SS PacificShipwrecknear Cape Flattery out of Victoria, British Columbia2651833Lady of the Lake (brig)Shipwrecknear Cape St. Francis (Newfoundland and Labrador), Newfoundland and LabradorThe brig called Lady of the Lake sank near Cape St. Francis after a collision with ice killing 265 people2561985Arrow Air Flight 1285Plane crashGander, Newfoundland As of 2026, it is the deadliest aviation accident to occur on Canadian soil.2531857SS MontrealShipwreckSt. Lawrence River, QuebecCaught on fire near Quebec City2501913Great Lakes Storm of 1913Blizzard/StormGreat Lakes, OntarioEstimate is for both Canadian and U.S. fatalities2381797HMS TribuneShipwreckHalifax Harbour, Nova Scotia2371863SS Anglo SaxonShipwreckCape Race, Avalon Peninsula, NewfoundlandAllan Line shipwreck2291998Swissair Flight 111Plane crashSt. Margarets Bay, Nova Scotia223-6001873Nova Scotia hurricane of 1873HurricaneNova ScotiaThe Monthly Weather Review, published by the American Meteorological Society, set the death toll at 223 but the New York Times set the toll at 6002231916Matheson FireForest fireBlack River-Matheson, OntarioOfficial estimateHeritage Foundation of Canada 2211834Astrea (1812 ship)ShipwreckSank east of Louisbourg, Nova ScotiaSank with 224 people aboard. Only 3 survived2051860On the Rocks: Shipwrecks of Nova Scotia - Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Halifax, Nova Scotia SS HungarianShipwreckCape Sable Island, Nova ScotiaAllan Line passenger ship wrecked Cape Sable, NS2031942USS Pollux (AKS-2) and USS Truxtun (DD-229)ShipwreckPlacentia Bay, NewfoundlandWreck of the USS Pollux resulted in 93 fatalities and USS Truxtun 110; the USS Wilkes (DD-441) also grounded, but there were no fatalities.

100 to 199 deaths

FatalitiesYearArticleTypeLocationComments190+1758RubyShipwreckAzores, Portugalduring the expulsion of the Acadians1891914Hillcrest mine disasterExplosionHillcrest, Crowsnest Pass, AlbertaDeadliest mining disaster in Canadian history182+1881Victoria steamboat disasterShipwreckLondon, Ontario1741914SS Southern CrossShipwreckOff the coast of Newfoundland1731918SS FlorizelShipwreckCappahayden, Newfoundland173-19219271927 Nova Scotia hurricaneHurricaneNova Scotia and surrounding areaApproximate figure, most fatalities occurred at sea1601825Miramichi fireForest fireNorthern New Brunswick, including the towns of Fredericton, Miramichi, and Doaktown1501887Nanaimo mine explosionExplosionNanaimo, British Columbia1371942SS CaribouShipwreckSank southwest of Channel-Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and Labrador1361906SS ValenciaShipwreckCape Beale, Vancouver Island, British Columbia1301845-1848Franklin's lost expeditionFailed expeditionKing William Island area, NunavutThe final expedition of John Franklin, where HMS Erebus and HMS Terror were lost in the Northwest Passage1281902Coal Creek mine disasterExplosionCoal Creek, British Columbia1251891First Springhill mining disasterExplosionSpringhill, Nova Scotia1231882SS AsiaShipwreckGeorgian Bay1181949SS NoronicShipwreckToronto, Ontario1181963Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 831Plane crashSainte-Thérèse, Quebec1151828HMS AcornShipwreckHalifax, Nova Scotia1141942HMS Crusader (H60)ShipwreckSank east of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador1141761Auguste (1758 ship)ShipwreckSank in Aspy Bay, Nova ScotiaThere was 121 aboard the ship and only 7 survived1101942USS Truxtun (DD-229)ShipwreckLawn, Newfoundland and LabradorSank alongside USS Pollux (AKS-2)1091970Air Canada Flight 621Plane crashBrampton, Ontario1021711HMS FevershamShipwreckScatarie Island, Main-à-Dieu, Nova Scotia

99 to 10 deaths