A Window into the Regina Tornado of 1912

On June 30 1912, Regina was the victim of the most destructive tornado in Canadian history, leaving 28 people dead and 2,500 homeless. The aftermath, which shaped the city's physical environment and b

Effects of the Disaster on Modes of Communication

A disaster hits. Flood, earthquake, blizzard, tornado... any kind of disaster. What would you do? Grab your cell phone to call your loved ones? Turn on the news to find out what is going on? In t

Financial Burden from the Disaster

While the tornado’s legacy exists in many forms, perhaps one of the most lasting and at the same time invisible, is the financial burden left in the storm’s wake. Huge amounts of property

Fire Insurance Plans (Charles E. Goade)

Fire insurance plans are one of the most useful resources when carrying out historical or archaeological research.  They are plans of a built environment - a town or city - block by block. 

How the Transportation Network Facilitated Recovery

Had the 1912 Tornado struck the heart of Paris or London, not only would the consequences have been considerably more dramatic because of the higher density of the built environment and of population

Human Injury and Loss of Life

The severity of a tornado is rated by the amount of destruction it causes. The tornado had a huge impact on the city’s physical environment. Businesses, homes and other buildings were destroye

Impacts on Patterns of Mobility in the Urban Landscape

One of the most fascinating angles to concentrate on in the study of available tornado photographs is the exploration of how Regina residents seemed to react as they discovered the extent of the damag

Legacy from the Regina Tornado/Cyclone

The legacy of the tornado/cyclone of 1912 has taken many forms. While many photos and written documents and accounts remain, there are few objects left to tell the story of the tornado. In creating

Post-Tornado Temporary Relief Measures

The tornado struck Regina just before 5:00pm on July 30, 1912. Between the devastation left by the storm, and the downpour that occurred shortly afterwards, the people of Regina were left to scramble

Spirit of Generosity in the Aftermath of the Tornado

As word of Regina’s devastation spread, the people of Canada and the world opened their hearts and showed the true spirit of generosity. In the first week following the tornado, hundreds of let

The Path of the Tornado

Tornadoes evoke some of the strongest images ever imaginable in our minds. It is common knowledge that a tornado observed and not moving to the right or to the left relative to trees or power poles i

The Regina Tornado Brand

When one hears the phrase "Regina Tornado" there is no confusion - this can only mean the devastating tornado that struck Regina on June 30th, 1912. Also referred to as the cyclone (althoug

Tornado in the Midst of Boosterism

At the time of the tornado many Western Canadian settlements competed with one another for investment dollars and new inhabitants. This occurred through sophisticated advertisement campaigns in easte

Tornado's impact on Built and Physical Environments

From the study of fire insurance plans and photographic evidence, one can acquire a clearer picture of how the built environment of the city was affected by the tornado. To help readers p