Death or Canada presents an epic tale of sacrifice and courage in the face of overwhelming adversity. It’s a story that symbolizes the hardship and suffering of our ancestors as they struggled to build a new life.

In 1847 Ireland was in the grip of a devastating famine that would claim more than a million lives and force a million more to leave their country in despair, escaping to North America in the holds of ‘coffin ships’. Among those fleeing their homeland are the ancestors of Henry Ford, John F. Kennedy and Bing Crosby.

Between May and October of that year, 38,000 wretched souls landed in the muddy backwater village of Toronto. Their only hope was to start a new life and leave the misery of Ireland far behind.

This gripping docudrama reveals a forgotten chapter of the great Irish famine and how wave after wave of sick and desperate migrants unleashed upon North America a public health and refugee crisis beyond imagination.

Death or Canada follows an archaeological team as they uncover remarkable evidence of the refugee camp in the heart of what is now Toronto’s entertainment district. One of North America’s leading epidemiologists dissects the primitive treatments for the raging typhus epidemic that followed the Irish everywhere they went.

Death or Canada blends brilliant dramatic recreations, scientific discoveries, compelling interviews and a powerful narration by acclaimed Irish-American actor Brian Dennehy.

More than a century and a half later, the impact of the Irish famine still reverberates. The crisis transformed a city, a nation and a continent – reshaping North America society forever. Today, more than 50 million people claim Irish heritage.