(EDMONTON, AB) On a cold night in 1904, two fires ripped through Toronto’s downtown core destroying 98 buildings and leaving 5000 people jobless. On November 10, 1979, a CPR freight train pulling 106 cars of toxic chemicals including chlorine, propane and toluene derailed in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga leading to the largest evacuation in North American history prior to Hurricane Katrina. In the spring of 2000, the small town of Walkerton rose to international attention after 2300 of the town’s residents became ill from e.coli poisioning.

Ontario’s history has been marred by tragic disasters but often through these difficult times the courage of ordinary heroes has prevailed. Disasters of Ontario: 75 Stories of Courage & Chaos takes a look at some of the  province’s worst disasters from shipping and railway tragedies to tornadoes and hurricanes.

Written by a former southern Ontario tour guide and journalist, René Biberstein, Disasters of Ontario: 75 Stories of Courage & Chaos tells the stories of Ontario’s darkest days and their human and environmental costs. René Biberstein focuses on personal stories to make a compelling archive of Ontario’s worst disasters and the human spirit that often conquers amidst tragedy.