List of deadliest Canadian traffic accidents explained

A list of Canadian traffic accidents, with multiple fatalities. The list includes notable accidents with at least five fatalities.

AccidentDateLocationKilledDescriptionRef.
Les Éboulements bus accident13 October 1997Les Éboulements, Quebec44Canada's deadliest traffic accident occurred in Les Eboulements, Quebec, after a bus transporting a group of seniors suffered brake failure and careened down an embankment into a ravine, killing 43 on board including the driver.  Fatigue and maintenance were found to be contributing factors in the crash.[1]
Eastman bus crash4 August 1978Eastman, Quebec40A bus carrying physically and mentally handicapped people, plus volunteers, suffered brake failure while coming down a steep hill and plunged into Lac d’Argent in Eastman, Quebec, killing 40 on board. The group had been out for a night at the theatre and was returning when the tragedy occurred. The bus floated for approximately 15 minutes before sinking. Only seven passengers survived.[2]
CP Rail crew bus crash28 May 1980Webb, Saskatchewan22Saskatchewan's deadliest traffic accident occurred when 22 workers on a Canadian Pacific Railway steel crew were killed after their bus collided with another vehicle on the Trans-Canada Highway west of Regina. The bus flipped onto its side and was then struck from behind by a tanker truck loaded with liquid asphalt.[3]
Dorion level crossing accident7 October1966Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec21a school bus transporting children to a school dance was hit by a CN Rail freight train in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec, killing 19 instantly with 2 dying later from injuries.[4]
Colonial Coach Lines bus accident31 July 1953Morrisburg, Ontario20Ontario's deadliest traffic accident occurred when 20 people were killed after their Colonial Coach Lines passenger bus collided with a truck parked on the side of Highway 2 near Morrisburg, Ontario. The bus careened off the highway and into the Williamsburg canal system. Seventeen survivors escaped from the bus as it sank in about six metres of water.[5]
Accident at Lac-Bouchette17 July 1993Lac-Bouchette, Quebec19a minibus carrying senior citizens from Verchères, Quebec and Contrecoeur, Quebec were returning from a pilgrimage to the shrine of le Ermitage Saint-Antoine near La Bouchette when the minibus they were travelling in collided with a van, killing 19 people.[6]
Chipman-Lamont school bus-train collision29 November1960Chipman, Alberta17Alberta's deadliest traffic accident occurred when 17 high schoolers from the town of Chipman, Alberta were killed after their school bus was hit by a train near Lamont, Alberta. An additional 25 people were injured.[7]
Carberry highway collision15 June 2023North Cypress-Langford, Manitoba17Manitoba's deadliest traffic accident occurred during a vehicle collision between a handi-transit bus and a semi-truck on the Trans-Canada Highway in the Municipality of North Cypress – Langford near Carberry, Manitoba, Canada, killing 17 seniors and injuring 8 others.[8]
Humboldt Broncos bus crash6 April 2018Armley, Saskatchewan1616 members of the Humboldt Broncos, a Saskatchewan junior hockey team, died when their team bus was struck on the side by a transport truck while crossing an intersection near Armley, Saskatchewan, Canada . The dead included the driver of the bus, 10 players, as well as coaches and other team assistants.[9]
Yamachiche bus collision30 January 1954Yamachiche, Quebec1414 people were killed on the highway at Yamachiche, Quebec, near Trois-Rivières, when their bus collided with an oncoming transport truck. A few of the passengers, as well as the drivers of both vehicles, managed to escape the inferno that engulfed the vehicles after the crash.[10]
Les Eboulements bus crash2 June 1974Les Eboulements, Quebec1313 seniors were killed when the bus they were travelling in lost control and crashed down and embankment in Les Eboulements, Quebec, eerily similar to the 1997 Les Éboulements Bus Accident 23 years later at the same location[11]
Cormier-Village hayride accident8 October 1989Cormier Village, New Brunswick13New Brunswick's deadliest traffic accident occurred when 13 people died and 45 others were injured during a family reunion hayride near Cormier Village, New Brunswick, northeast of Moncton. The victims were sitting in a hay wagon pulled by a tractor, when a passing logging truck lost control on the road, and its load of logs crashed down onto the wagon. 5 children were among the victims. [12]
Sainte-Rosalie bus crash9 June 1979Sainte-Rosalie, Quebec11a bus carrying seniors lost control during a rainstorm and crashed into an overpass near Sainte-Rosalie, Quebec killing 11 seniors and injuring another 20.[13]
Hampstead crash6 February 2012Hampstead, Ontario1111 people were killed in Hampstead, Ontario, west of Kitchener, when a flatbed truck struck a minivan filled with migrant workers from a nearby poultry farm. The drivers of both vehicles died, as well as nine farm workers.[14]
Go Train/TTC bus crash12 December 1975Scarborough, Ontario10a GO Transit Train slammed into a Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) bus containing 50 passengers, including the driver, after the bus stalled at a level crossing at St. Clair Avenue and Kennedy Road in Scarborough, killing 10 and injuring a further 20.[15]
Lantzville bus crash3 September 1977Lantzville, British Columbia10British Columbia's deadliest traffic accident occurred on Labour Day weekend, when a 3 vehicle accident involving 2 trucks and bus occurred near Lantzville, BC, resulting in the death of 10 individuals.[16]
Oldcastle school bus accident21 December 1966Oldcastle, Ontario8a 35-tonne dump truck carrying a load of sand overturned at an intersection onto a school bus full of children near Oldcastle, ON. Tragically, 8 children between the ages of 6 and 9 lost their lives, a further 16 others were sustained injuries.[17]
Ontario Highway 401 crash3 September 1999Tilbury, Ontario8Canada's deadliest multiple-vehicle collision resulted from dense fog conditions on a section of Ontario Highway 401 between Windsor and Tilbury. There were 87 vehicles involved in the pile-up in both directions of the divided highway, killing 8 people and injuring a further 45.[18]
La tragédie de Saint-Jean-Baptiste-de-Nicolet16 March 2000Nicolet, Quebec8a van carrying 10 daycare children collided with another vehicle near Nicolet, QC, after losing control on some black ice. Tragically, 8 children were killed in the accident.[19]
Bathurst boys in red accident12 January 2008Bathurst, New Brunswick8a semi-trailer truck and a van carrying the basketball team from Bathurst High School collided, which killed 7 students, the wife of the coach, and injured 4 other occupants in the van.[20]
Highway 97 collision? March 1988Prince George, British Columbia6a principal and 5 students basketball players were killed when the vehicle they were travelling in swerved into the oncoming lane and struck a flatbed truck carrying power line poles, just north of Prince George, British Columbia.[21]
Armley Corner collision? June 1997Armley, Saskatchewan6a family of 6 were killed when the vehicle they were travelling in collided with a transport truck at the intersection of highway 35 and 335 near Armley, Saskatchewan, the same intersection the Humboldt Broncos bus crash would take place 21 years later.[22]
Rogers Pass crash27 November 2000Revelstoke, British Columbia6a bus carrying tourists from Taiwan crashed head-on with a transport truck in a tunnel on the Trans-Canada Highway, near Revelstoke, BC, killing six and injuring 21. The accident happened in the 316-metre Lanark Snowshed Tunnel, closing the highway for about 14 hours. The transport truck was empty at the time of the accident.[23]
Lloydminster collision27 July 2013Lloydminster, Saskatchewan66 teenagers aged 14–17 were killed following a collision with a tanker truck at an intersection in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan.[24]
OC Transpo Bus-train crash8 September 2013Ottawa, Ontario66 people were killed after a collision occurred between an OC Transpo double-decker bus and a Via Rail train in the Ottawa suburb of Barrhaven.[25]
Elrose collision29 June 2018Elrose, Saskatchewan66 people, including 3 children were killed when two vehicles collided on Highway 4, north of Elrose, Saskatchewan. [26]
Sunwapta Falls collision8 August 2018Sunwapta Falls, Alberta66 people, were killed following a head-on crash near Jasper, Alberta, on Highway 93, south of Sunwapta Falls. Miraculously a 2 year old child survived the crash uninjured.[27]
Barrie crash28 August 2022Barrie, Ontario66 young adults were killed in Barrie, Ontario, when the vehicle they were travelling in crashed into a large, deep concrete pit that had been dug out along the stretch of McKay Road under construction.[28]
Embrum Highway 417 pileup17 February 2006Embrum, Ontario5Canada’s second deadliest multiple-vehicle collision involving 38 vehicles, occurred during a snow squall in whiteout conditions on highway 417 near Embrum Ontario, in the end 5 people were dead and many others injured.[29]
De la Concorde overpass collapse30 September 2006Laval, Quebec5a 65 ft (20 m) section of a 3-lane overpass over Autoroute 19, in Laval, Quebec, collapsed, crushing two vehicles under it, killing 5 people and seriously injuring six others who went over the edge while travelling on the overpass.[30]
Pacific Highway collision28 April 2013Surrey, BC53 generations of the same family were killed when the vehicle they were travelling in on the Pacific Highway was struck by a van at an intersection just north of the US border. A mother, her two children, their aunt and their grandmother were among the 5 killed.[31]
Highway 401 collision12 March 2022Belleville, Ontario55 students from India were killed when a transport truck collided with the van they were travelling in, after it had come to a stop on the side of the 401 highway, just outside of Belleville, Ontario.[32] [33]
Highway 88 collision19 March 2023Northern Sunrise County, Alberta55 people were killed in a crash in Northern Alberta after a truck and van collided on Highway 88 in Northern Sunrise County. Both occupants of the truck were killed as well as 3 members of the Whitefish Lake First Nation who were travelling in the van.[34]
Highway 83 crash31 September 2023Swan River, Manitoba55 people aged 25 to 42 died after the vehicle they were travelling in crashed on Highway 83, just north of Swan Lake, Manitoba. RCMP state that all 5 occupants were not wearing seatbelts and were ejected from the vehicle. All 5 occupants were pronounced dead on scene. [35]

See also

List of traffic collisions (before 2000)

List of traffic collisions (2000–present)

List of rail accidents in Canada

List of Canadian disasters by death toll

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ICI.Radio-Canada.ca . Zone Justice et faits divers- . 2022-10-11 . L'accident d'autobus des Éboulements, c'était il y a 25 ans Radio-Canada.ca . 2023-09-18 . Radio-Canada . fr-ca.
  2. News: 1978-08-06 . 41 Drown in Quebec When a Bus Calving Infirm Runs Into Lake . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-09-18 . 0362-4331.
  3. Web site: 2020-04-06 . Worst Traffic Accidents in Canadian History - History and Headlines . 2023-09-18 . en-us.
  4. Web site: Meagher . John . October 7, 2016 . Dorion train-school bus accident: 'It's been 50 years, but it's still difficult,' says sister of twin who died .
  5. Web site: Motor Vehicle Disasters in Canada . 2023-09-18 . www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca . en.
  6. Web site: jeantremblayfm . 2013-07-14 . Les désastres les plus meurtriers au Québec depuis 50 ans racontés… Partie 1 . 2023-10-04 . Les écrits de Jean Tremblay . fr-FR.
  7. Web site: 50th Anniversary of Chipman bus tragedy Globalnews.ca . 2023-09-18 . Global News . en-US.
  8. Web site: Lambert . Steve . 2023-06-15 . Bus carrying seniors to casino crashes with semi in Manitoba; 15 dead and 10 injured . 2023-09-18 . CP24 . en.
  9. News: 2018-04-07 . Canada crash: 14 killed in Saskatchewan junior hockey team bus crash . en-GB . BBC News . 2023-09-18.
  10. Web site: 2012-01-29 . Horreur à Yamachiche – Voyage à travers le Québec . 2023-09-19 . fr-FR.
  11. Web site: Motor Vehicle Disasters in Canada . 2023-09-18 . www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca . en.
  12. Web site: oldmaison . 2009-10-08 . >It was 20 years ago today the Hayride disaster happened in Cormier Village….. . 2023-09-18 . Oldmaison's Weblog . en.
  13. Web site: Government of Canada . Public Safety Canada . 2018-12-21 . Canadian Disaster Database . 2023-09-19 . cdd.publicsafety.gc.ca.
  14. Web site: 2012-07-22 . Remembering the victims of devastating Hampstead collision . 2023-09-18 . Kitchener . en.
  15. Web site: 1975 GO Train and TTC bus crash left 8 dead . 2023-09-18.
  16. Web site: Government of Canada . Public Safety Canada . 2018-12-21 . Canadian Disaster Database . 2023-09-19 . cdd.publicsafety.gc.ca.
  17. Web site: Wilhelm . Trevor . September 21, 2016 . Families gather to honour lost children 50 years after horrific school bus crash . Windsor Star.
  18. Web site: Article: ~~'Carnage Alley': Ontario's Highway 401 was a road of death in... AccessMyLibrary - Promoting library advocacy . 2023-09-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120312123153/http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-58343268/carnage-alley-ontario-highway.html . 2012-03-12 .
  19. Web site: March 16, 2015 . Il y a 15 ans, la tragédie des anges .
  20. Web site: 2009-05-24 . News Release - Communiqué - 2008-7-28 . 2023-09-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090524004235/http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/nb/news/Jul2808_223430.html . 2009-05-24 .
  21. Web site: Prince George Digitization PG Newspapers . 2023-09-24 . pgnewspapers.pgpl.ca.
  22. Web site: The Canadian Press . 2018-04-08 . Saskatchewan site of hockey team bus crash was scene of tragedy in 1997 . 2023-09-24 . Toronto Star . en.
  23. Web site: November 28, 2000 . Fatal bus crash investigation . CBC.
  24. Web site: Partsinevelos . Kristina . July 28, 2013 . 6 teens killed in Saskatchewan crash identified . CBC.
  25. Web site: CityNews . 2023-09-18 . vancouver.citynews.ca.
  26. Web site: 2018-06-30 . Family of five killed in head-on crash in rural Saskatchewan . 2023-09-20 . CTVNews . en.
  27. Web site: 6 people killed in crash south of Jasper Globalnews.ca . 2023-09-20 . Global News . en-US.
  28. Web site: 2023-01-12 . Construction company charged in Barrie, Ont., crash that killed 6 young adults . 2023-09-18 . Barrie . en.
  29. Web site: February 20, 2006 . Pileup on Highway 417 claims fifth victim . CBC.
  30. Web site: Associated Press . 2006-10-01 . Canada overpass collapse kills five . 2023-09-18 . The Denver Post . en-US.
  31. Web site: 2013-04-29 . Three generations of B.C. family killed in Surrey crash . 2023-09-20 . British Columbia . en.
  32. Web site: Lee . Shuyee . March 13, 2022 . 5 students from India killed in Highway 401 crash . CBC.
  33. Web site: March 14, 2022 . 5 students from India killed in Highway 401 crash . CBC.
  34. Web site: 2023-03-20 . 5 killed, boy seriously injured, in northern Alberta crash . 2023-09-20 . Edmonton . en.
  35. Web site: 2023-10-01 . RCMP in Manitoba say five dead after being ejected during SUV rollover . 2023-10-02 . Yahoo News . en-CA.