List of massacres in Canada

Last updated

This is a list of events in Canada and its predecessors that are commonly characterized as massacres . Massacre is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as "the indiscriminate and brutal slaughter of people or (less commonly) animals; carnage, butchery, slaughter in numbers"; it also states that the term is used "in the names of certain massacres of history". [1]

Contents

List

NameDateLocationDead/Injured/ CaptivesMechanism of injuryPerpetrator suicideNotes
Lachine massacre August 5, 1689 Lachine, Quebec 24–250Tomahawk, [2] fire and other unspecified weaponsNoPart of King William's War
Massacre Island, Ontario June 6, 1736 Lake of the Woods 21Arrows and various edged weapons including knivesNoThere is some dispute about which island in Lake of the Woods was the actual site of the massacre.
Battle at Port-la-Joye July 11, 1746Port-la-Joye, Île Saint-Jean. The location now known as Hillsborough River (Prince Edward Island).34 / 0UnknownNoAcadian and Mi'kmaqs killed 34 unarmed British (27 soldiers and 7 sailors). Part of King George's War
Battle of Grand Pré February 10, 1747 Grand-Pré, Nova Scotia 67 / 0 / 40Flintlock muskets, bayonets and various close-quarters weaponsNoAcadian and Mi'kmaqs took est. 40 prisoners after attack. Part of King George's War
Raid on Dartmouth May 13, 1751 Dartmouth, Nova Scotia 7–20 / 0 / 6–14Miscellaneous including various edged weaponsNoOne of seven raids by Mi'kmaqs on British and New England forces, usually very violent with deaths and scalpings. Part of Father Le Loutre's War
St. Francis Raid October 4, 1759 Odanak, Quebec 30–200 / unk / 7–20Military arms including muskets, bayonets and tomahawksNoRaid by Robert Rogers' Rangers, which was pursued and depleted before crossing back into New England. Part of Seven Years' War
Bloody Falls massacre July 17, 1771The location now known as Kugluk/Bloody Falls Territorial Park near Kugluktuk, Nunavut 20Various small arms including knives and other edged weaponsNoAlleged massacre of a group of Copper Inuit by Matonabbee and his accompanying party of Dene, witnessed by Samuel Hearne
Chilcotin War April 30, 1864 Bute Inlet, British Columbia 19Firearms including riflesNoMassacre of 14 employees of Alfred Waddington by various Tŝilhqot'in people who had been working on road construction without compensation for two years.
Cypress Hills Massacre June 1, 1873 Cypress Hills, Saskatchewan 23 Official, Estimated 200FirearmNoMass murder perpetrated by American bison and wolf hunters, and American and Canadian whisky traders and cargo haulers, against a camp of Assiniboine people. One of the main contributing reasons for the formation of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Black Donnellys massacre February 4, 1880 Lucan Biddulph, Ontario 5Firearms, pitchfork, axe, shovel, clubs and a wooden stakeNoMurder of five members of the Donnelly family by an armed mob, after which their farm was burned down. The event was the culmination of long-standing conflict between the family and other residents. None of the mob were ever convicted.
Frog Lake Massacre April 2, 1885 Frog Lake, Alberta 9FirearmsNoPart of the North-West Rebellion
Mass shooting Smoky Lake, AlbertaOctober 22, 1930 Smoky Lake, Alberta 5Firearms (shotgun)NoFour members of the Walanski family and neighbour Wasyl Darichuk were killed. George Dwernychuk hanged March 3, 1931, Provincial Jail, Ft. Saskatchewan [3]
CPA Flight 108 bombing September 9, 1949 Cap Tourmente, Quebec 23 dynamite time bomb Failed attempt by one of the conspiratorsWhole plane destroyed to kill one of the conspirators' wife (so he could marry his mistress) and obtain life insurance money.
Buffalo Narrows axe slayings January 30, 1969 [4] Buffalo Narrows, Saskatchewan 7AxeNoSeven members of the Pederson family were killed with an axe in their beds by a schizophrenic man, Frederick Moses McCallum. [5]
Blue Bird Café fire September 1, 1972 Montreal, Quebec 37FireNoThe Blue Bird Café fire was a nightclub fire on September 1, 1972, in Montreal, Quebec. In all, 37 people were killed as a result of arson.
Lennoxville massacre March 24, 1985 Lennoxville, Quebec 5FirearmNoPart of the Quebec Biker war, 4 convicted of first degree murder
École Polytechnique massacre December 6, 1989 Montreal, Quebec 15 / 14FirearmYes Marc Lépine killed 14 women and injured 14, before taking his own life. School shooting.
Concordia University massacre August 24, 1992 Montreal, Quebec 4 / 1FirearmNoSchool shooting. 4 killed, 1 injured. [6]
Giant Mine Murders (Royal Oak Mines Labour Dispute)September 18, 1992 Yellowknife, Northwest Territories 9BombingNoBombing during labour dispute. One of Canada's deadliest mass murders. [7] [8]
Vernon massacre April 6, 1996 Vernon, British Columbia 9 / 2Multiple firearmsYesEstranged husband murdered wedding party. [9] [10]
Shedden massacre April 8, 2006 Shedden, Ontario 8Multiple firearmsNoGang killing of own gang members.
2014 Edmonton shooting December 29, 2014 Edmonton, Alberta 7FirearmYes53-year-old Phu Lam murders his ex-wife and six relatives on December 29, the worst mass murder in Edmonton's history
2014 Calgary stabbing April 15, 2014 Calgary, Alberta 5KnifeNoFive people stabbed to death at a house party by Matthew de Grood during a psychotic episode.
Quebec City mosque shooting January 29, 2017 Quebec City, Quebec 6 / 19Multiple firearmsNoIslamophobic attack on the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City by Alexandre Bissonnette. Ultimately, charges of terrorism were not brought forth as Bissonnette had acted independently of a terrorist organization. [11]
Toronto van attack April 23, 2018 Toronto, Ontario 11 / 15VehicleNoA van was driven along a Yonge Street sidewalk on April 23, 2018, by Alek Minassian. At least 26 were injured, including 11 fatally. [12] [13]
2020 Nova Scotia attacks April 18–19, 2020Multiple locations, Nova Scotia 23 (including the perpetrator) / 3Multiple firearms, fireNoPerpetrator Gabriel Wortman committed multiple shootings using illegal firearms and set fires at 16 locations in Nova Scotia, killing 13 with firearms and 9 in fires (22 people total) and injuring three others before the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) shot and killed him in Enfield, NS.
London, Ontario truck attack June 6, 2021 London, Ontario 4 / 1VehicleNoA terrorist attack occurred on June 6, 2021, when a vehicle was used to strike a Muslim family at the intersection of Hyde Park and South Carriage roads, south of Gainsborough Road. The suspect is 20-year-old London resident Nathaniel Veltman. Four died, one was injured. [14]
2022 Saskatchewan stabbings September 4, 2022 James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon, Saskatchewan 12 (including the perpetrator) / 18Multiple knivesYesOn September 4, 2022, 28 people were stabbed, ten of whom were killed, in at least thirteen locations in the James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon, Saskatchewan, Canada. [15] One suspect, Damien Sanderson, who was later reclassified as a victim, [16] was found dead near one of the stabbing locations on September 5, 2022. [17] The perpetrator, Myles Sanderson, was apprehended on September 7, 2022, near Rosthern, Saskatchewan and died later from overdosing on cocaine. [18] [19]
2022 Vaughan shooting December 18, 2022 Vaughan, Ontario 6 (including the perpetrator) / 1FirearmNoOn December 18, 2022, a mass shooting occurred at the Bellaria Residences condominium tower in Vaughan, a suburb north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Six people were killed, including the gunman, 73-year-old Francesco Villi, who was shot and killed by responding police officers. Another person was hospitalized with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
2024 Ottawa stabbing March 6, 2024 Ottawa, Ontario6 / 1'Knife-like' edged weaponNoOn March 7, 2024, six people were stabbed to death and one was injured in the Barrhaven suburb of Ottawa [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mass murder</span> Act of murdering many people in a short span

Mass murder is the violent crime of killing a number of people, typically simultaneously or over a relatively short period of time and in proximity. A mass murder typically occurs in a single location where one or more persons kill several others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weldon, Saskatchewan</span> Village in Saskatchewan, Canada

Weldon is a village in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan within the Rural Municipality of Kinistino No. 459 and Census Division No. 15. The area is part of the aspen parkland biome. The village is located 2 km (1.2 mi) north of Highway 3 at the midway point between the cities of Prince Albert and Melfort, Saskatchewan. The village is just 20 km (12 mi) south of the Weldon Ferry linking it to Highway 302 and is often used as an access point to the historic Saskatchewan River Forks where the North and South Saskatchewan rivers join just 25 km (16 mi) to the northeast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Active shooter</span> Perpetrator of a mass shooting

Active shooter is a term used to describe the perpetrator of an ongoing mass shooting. The term is primarily used to characterize shooters who are targeting victims indiscriminately and at a large scale, who oftentimes, will either commit suicide or intend to be killed by police. More generally, an active perpetrator of a mass murder may be referred to as an active killer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Smith Cree Nation</span> Cree First Nation band government whose reserve is in Melfort, Saskatchewan, Canada.

The James Smith First Nation is a Plains Cree Indigenous band government whose reserve is north of Melfort, Saskatchewan, Canada. James Smith has two reserves, James Smith 100 and Cumberland 100A. James Smith has a current population of 2,412, with the on-reserve population estimated to be at 1,592 members. James Smith is part of the Prince Albert Grand Council. Bordering the reserve are the rural municipalities of Kinistino No. 459 and Torch River No. 488.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Akihabara massacre</span> 2008 civilian attack in Tokyo, Japan

The Akihabara massacre was an incident of mass murder that took place on 8 June 2008, in the Akihabara shopping quarter in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The perpetrator, 25-year-old Tomohiro Katō of Susono, Shizuoka, drove into a crowd with a rented truck, initially killing three people and injuring two; he then stabbed at least twelve people using a dagger, killing four other people and injuring eight.

The 2014 Isla Vista killings were two misogynistic terror attacks in Isla Vista, California. On the evening of Friday, May 23, 22-year-old Elliot Rodger killed six people and injured fourteen others by gunshot, stabbing and vehicle ramming near the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), before fatally shooting himself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Loche shootings</span> School shooting in Saskatchewan

On January 22, 2016, four people were killed and seven others injured in a shooting spree in La Loche, Saskatchewan, Canada. Two brothers were killed at their home, and two teachers were killed at the Dene Building of the La Loche Community School. A fifth victim died in 2023. A 17-year-old male suspect was apprehended and placed into custody.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quebec City mosque shooting</span> 2017 mass shooting in Quebec, Canada

The Quebec City mosque shooting was an attack by a single gunman on the evening of January 29, 2017, at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City, a mosque in the Sainte-Foy neighbourhood of Quebec City, Canada. Six worshippers were killed and five others seriously injured after evening prayers when the gunman entered the prayer hall shortly before 8:00 pm and opened fire for about two minutes with a 9mm Glock pistol. Approximately 40 people were reported present at the time of the shooting.

On 6–7 April 2017, two teenage boys aged 15 and 16 went on a rampage in Queanbeyan, New South Wales, Australia, first stabbing a service station attendant to death, then violently attacking four people in a spree that continued for several hours. The attacks were investigated by Australia's Joint Counter Terrorism Task Force as a possible terrorism-related crime. On 1 May 2020 both males were sentenced. The older received a jail term of 35 years and 6 months, while the younger received 18 years and 4 months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Toronto van attack</span> Canadian van attacks in Toronto

A terrorist vehicle-ramming attack occurred on April 23, 2018, when a rented van was driven along Yonge Street through the North York City Centre business district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The driver, 25-year-old Alek Minassian, targeted pedestrians, killing 11 and injuring 15, some critically. The incident is the deadliest vehicle-ramming attack in Canadian history.

The 2018 Toronto shooting, known locally as the Danforth shooting, was a mass shooting that occurred on Danforth Avenue in the Greektown neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada on the night of July 22, 2018. Faisal Hussain killed two people and wounded thirteen using a Smith & Wesson M&P .40-calibre handgun. He died by suicide after a shootout with Toronto Police Service (TPS) officers. Despite a year long investigation, authorities were unable to determine a motive for the shooting. They noted that Hussain had mental health issues and a long time obsession with violence.

A mass stabbing is a single incident in which multiple victims are harmed or killed in a knife-enabled crime. In such attacks, sharp objects are thrust at the victim, piercing through the skin and harming the victim. Examples of sharp instruments used in mass stabbings may include kitchen knives, utility knives, sheath knives, scissors, katanas, hammers, screwdrivers, icepicks, bayonets, axes, machetes and glass bottles. Knife crime poses security threats to many countries around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Nova Scotia attacks</span> Series of murders in Canada

On April 18 and 19, 2020, 51-year-old Gabriel Wortman committed multiple shootings and set fires at 16 locations in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, killing 22 people and injuring three others before he was shot and killed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Enfield.

The Toronto machete attack was a misogynist terrorist attack in a Toronto erotic spa on 24 February 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 London, Ontario truck attack</span> 2021 killing in Canada

On June 6, 2021, a 20-year-old named Nathaniel Veltman rammed a pickup truck into a family of Muslim Pakistani Canadian pedestrians at an intersection in London, Ontario, Canada. Four people were killed and a fifth was wounded. The attack was the deadliest mass killing in London's history. It was condemned by Canadian leaders, and described as terrorism by Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan and Premier of Ontario Doug Ford.

On September 4, 2022, Myles Sanderson killed 11 and injured 18 people in a mass stabbing at 13 locations on the James Smith Cree Nation and in Weldon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Some of the victims are believed to have been targeted, while others were randomly attacked. It is one of the deadliest massacres in Canadian history.

References

  1. ↑ "massacre." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. December 23, 2014.
  2. ↑ Richter (1992) , p. 160
  3. ↑ Nov. 24, 1930: Mass murderer hanged after being found guilty in shortest trial, Edmonton Journal, Nov. 24, 2014
  4. ↑ "Seven murder counts laid in northern axe deaths". The Phoenix. January 31, 1968. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Generations of grief: Family still reeling 50 years after little-known mass axe murder". Bridget Yard · CBC News. February 2, 2019. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  6. ↑ BOVSUN, MARA. "Crazy professor Valery Fabrikant kills 4 in Concordia University rampage – NY Daily News". nydailynews.com. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  7. ↑ Foot, Richard (July 5, 2016). "Giant Mine Murders". The Canadian Encyclopedia . Historica Canada.
  8. ↑ Zelniker, Rachel (September 14, 2022). "A city divided". CBC News . Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
  9. ↑ Talreja, Sujata (April 24, 1996). "Massacre In Vernon". Outlook India Magazine. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  10. ↑ "B.C. community remembers massacre victims". CBC. April 6, 2006. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Why accused in Quebec City mosque shooting isn't likely to face terrorism charges". CBC News Montreal. CBC/Radio-Canada. February 2, 2017. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Driver Plows Van Into Toronto Pedestrians, Kills 10". WSJ. "Alek Minassian: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". April 23, 2018.
  13. ↑ "'A huge loss': Yonge Street van attack victim Amaresh Tesfamariam missed 'every day'". Toronto.com . Toronto, Ontario, Canada. November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  14. ↑ "4 killed in London, Ont. collision likely targeted for being Muslim, police say".
  15. ↑ Saskatchewan RCMP provide update on multiple stabbings, search for suspects | LIVE, Global News, September 4, 2022, retrieved September 4, 2022
  16. ↑ Sarisohn, Jason Hanna,Hannah (October 7, 2022). "Myles Sanderson was the only killer in Canada mass stabbings, and his brother was a victim, police say". CNN. Retrieved October 7, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. ↑ "Suspect in Sask. stabbings found dead, while 2nd accused still at large: RCMP". CBC News. September 5, 2022. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Myles Sanderson, suspect in Sask. stabbing rampage, arrested". CBC News. September 7, 2022. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Sask. mass killer Myles Sanderson died of 'acute cocaine overdose': pathologist". CTV News . February 27, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Six Sri Lankans knifed to death in Canadian capital in rare case of mass murder". Reuters . Retrieved April 5, 2024.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.