Death's Dominion

As we head into the Canada Day Weekend, I'm reminded of a rather spectacular event that took place out here in the prairies. I'm talking about the 1912 Regina Tornado. It hit Regina, Saskatchewan on June 30, 1912 as the town was preparing for its Dominion Day celebrations. This website has all the details, but here's the meat of it:

June 30, 1912 was an extremely hot day in the prairie city of Regina, Saskatchewan. Most of the 10,000 inhabitants spent the Sunday afternoon trying to get cool. Suddenly, a breeze blew through the city. Dark clouds gathered in the southeast. But instead of bringing cooling rain, this storm brought a twirling tornado. Moving at speeds up to 200 miles per hour, the tornado ploughed across the lake and destroyed a swath of the city’s center four blocks wide and ten blocks long. It passed through the city in three minutes. Twenty-eight people died in the disaster, and 2,500 were left homeless. At the time, the disaster was the worst in Canadian history. The repair costs plunged the city into dept for over 40 years afterwards.

Needless to say, the next day's celebrations were cancelled. Worst Dominion Day EVER. So be safe this weekend -- no tornado-chasing; no boating and drinking; no sticking fireworks down your pants.