What was the Spanish flu pandemic in Canada?

The Spanish flu pandemic struck Canada from spring 1918 to spring 1920, killing about 50,000 Canadians (about 0.6 per cent of the country's 8 million population at the time) and infecting about 2 million. It was the worst epidemic in modern Canadian history before the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 to 2022. The pandemic arrived in Canada in waves: a mild first wave in spring 1918, a severe second wave in autumn 1918, a third wave in early 1919, and a fourth in 1920. The deadliest period was September to December 1918.

The pandemic was the second-worst in modern history (after the Black Death of the 14th century), killing an estimated 50 to 100 million people worldwide. The 'Spanish' name was a misnomer; the disease did not originate in Spain but became known by that name because Spain (which was neutral in the First World War) reported freely on the epidemic while warring countries censored news. The H1N1 influenza A virus had unusual lethality, killing healthy young adults at high rates (a phenomenon attributed to cytokine storms).

The Canadian experience varied by region and community. Returning Canadian Expeditionary Force soldiers and railway workers spread the disease across the country in autumn 1918. Indigenous communities suffered devastating mortality rates: estimates suggest about 4,000 deaths among Inuit (out of 6,000 to 7,500 total population, a mortality rate exceeding 50 per cent in some Inuit communities), and high mortality among First Nations on the prairies and northern regions. Provincial responses included quarantines, closure of schools, churches, and theatres, and mandatory mask-wearing in some cities (Winnipeg introduced mandatory masks on October 8, 1918). Vancouver imposed strict quarantine measures.

The pandemic had several long-term consequences. The federal Department of Health was created on September 1, 1919 in direct response, consolidating public health responsibilities at the federal level (the Department had been merged with Pensions and National Health in 1928 and exists in modified form today as Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada). Provincial and municipal public health departments were strengthened. The pandemic also accelerated the development of medical sociology and epidemiology in Canada. Detailed records of Canadian Spanish flu mortality were preserved by the Department of Vital Statistics. The Spanish flu remains an important cautionary precedent invoked during later epidemics including COVID-19, where comparisons between the two pandemics shaped public health planning. The Spanish flu Memorial Project (begun in 2018 for the centennial) researches and commemorates Spanish flu deaths across Canada.