As fresh images of the recent Air India crash circulate globally, Canadians are also being reminded of a much older—and far deadlier—tragedy that continues to haunt the nation’s conscience. On June 23, 2025, Canada marks 40 years since the bombing of Air India Flight 182, the worst act of terrorism in Canadian history, which killed 329 people, including 268 Canadians.
To commemorate the somber milestone, OMNI TV is airing a new documentary, Forgotten Canadians: The Victims of Air India Flight 182, which tells the deeply personal stories of families who say they were long ignored in the wake of unimaginable loss. The film will air in English on June 19 at noon and June 20 at 6:30 p.m., with more details and language options available at omnitv.ca.
The bombing, carried out by extremists based in Canada, shocked the world but left many in Canada feeling that the nation had failed to grieve properly or respond justly. On June 23, 1985, a suitcase bomb placed on a Canadian Pacific flight in Vancouver made its way to Toronto and was loaded onto Air India Flight 182 bound for Mumbai. The aircraft, named Kanishka, departed Pearson Airport that evening and picked up more passengers in Montreal before flying over the Atlantic. Just after midnight, the bomb exploded mid-air off the coast of Ireland, killing all 307 passengers and 22 crew members.
Only 132 bodies were recovered from the sea, many of them children beginning their summer holidays with family trips to India. Among the dead were Canadian citizens, British residents, Indian nationals, and others of unknown origin. Mere hours later, a second suitcase bomb from the same group exploded at Tokyo’s Narita Airport, killing two baggage handlers. It was intended to detonate mid-air on a separate flight, but exploded on the ground instead.
The perpetrators were linked to the Babbar Khalsa, a radical group seeking an independent Sikh state, Khalistan. Despite mounting evidence, prosecutions were slow. Only one man, Inderjit Singh Reyat, was convicted—in 2003—for his role in building the bombs. Two others were acquitted in 2005 after a lengthy trial. No mastermind has ever been held fully accountable.
What’s most painful to many families is how the Canadian government treated the tragedy in its aftermath. There was no formal apology until 2010, 25 years later, when then–Prime Minister Stephen Harper addressed the victims’ families. For decades, families were left isolated—emotionally and politically—often having to fight in court for basic recognition and compensation. “Canadians do not recall June 23, 1985. As a nation, we were not shaken, transformed, or moved to change our institutional practices for a tragedy we considered had little to do with us,” testified expert Sherene H. Razack during the 2006 public inquiry.
In the years that followed, the government did establish several initiatives, including the National Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism, the Kanishka Project (which invested $10 million into terrorism research), and the creation and refurbishment of memorials in cities like Ottawa and Toronto—one of the most notable at Humber Bay Park East in Etobicoke.
Still, public awareness remains low. A 2023 Angus Reid poll found that only 1 in 10 Canadians aged 18 to 34 had any knowledge of the tragedy. Many in the South Asian community say this ongoing silence reflects deeper issues around race, belonging, and whose lives are mourned as “Canadian.”
To honor the anniversary, academic institutions and community groups are organizing events across the country. McMaster University recently hosted a two-day conference exploring the politics of grief, South Asian diasporic identity, and public memory. A national exhibition, titled Air India Counterpublics, is also in the works by scholars Angela Failler and Nisha Thampi.
For the families of the victims, the 40th anniversary is not just a moment to remember their loved ones—but a call to ensure they are never forgotten again.