This summer has been very active for tornadoes in Ontario, with multiple large tornadoes caught on tape by local residents, including a deadly F2 tornado that struck the fishing resort of Ear Falls, Ontario on July 12, 2009.  This morning I came across the video below of a more recent tornado that caused damage in Vaughn, Ontario, and thought I'd make a post with a brief climatology of Canadian tornadoes.  The active tornado season is not unprecendented here, as Ontario (especially the southern part) accounts for more tornado reports than any other Canadian province, with nearly 32% of the total annual reports.  The strongest Canadian tornadoes are also typically found in Ontario, with seven of the nine F4 tornadoes in recorded history in Canada occurring in southern Ontario.  The Canadian Prairie provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba receive the next most tornadoes, respectively, but the low population densities in these areas likely results in a significant underestimation of the true number of tornadoes. Click on "read more" for video and more details!

Canada's Worst Tornadoes

• Regina, Saskatchewan - June 30, 1912 - 28 dead, hundreds injured
• Edmonton, Alberta - July 31, 1987 - 27 dead, hundreds injured
• Windsor, Ontario - June 17, 1946 - 17 dead, hundreds injured
• Pine Lake, Alberta - July 14, 2000 - 12 dead, 140 injured
• Valleyfield, Quebec - August 16, 1888 - 9 dead, 14 injured
• Windsor, Ontario - April 3, 1974 - 9 dead, 30 injured
• Barrie, Ontario - May 31, 1985 - 8 dead, 155 injured
• Sudbury, Ontario - August 20, 1970 - 6 dead, 200 injured
• St-Rose, Quebec - June 14, 1892 - 6 dead, 26 injured
• Buctouche, New Brunswick - August 6, 1879 - 5 dead, 10 injured

Below is a video of the July 31, 1987 F4 tornado in Edmonton, Alberta, showing different phases of the tornado's lifecycle: