May 29: Empress of Ireland sank; Sunday Chorale began; Transit went public.

May 29,1914 - The Empress of Ireland sank in the St. Lawrence River. Over 1,000 people went down with the ship, including about 30 Manitobans. For more on the disaster and the Manitoba victims, see my West End Dumplings post.

May 29, 1942 - The Choristers, a Winnipeg chamber choir, began weekly broadcasts on CBC radio. In 1952 the program's name became Sunday Chorale and continued until 1969. The choir was the basis for today's The Winnipeg Singers.

May 29, 1953 – The privately-owned Winnipeg Electric Company was taken over by the crown corporation the Greater Winnipeg Transit Commission to make it a city-wide public transit system. For more on Winnipeg's Transit system.

May 29, 1977 - The Airliner Drive-In Theatre closed for good. For more about Winnipeg's Drive-Ins.

© 2012, 2020 Christian Cassidy