The Halifax Explosion

The Halifax Explosion was the largest man-made explosion prior to the atomic bomb. On the morning of December 6, 1917, the Norwegian ship SS Imo and the French munitions ship SS Mont-Blanc collided in the narrows of the Halifax Harbour and exploded. The force of the explosion devastated the city. It killed 2000 people and injured 9000 others. People were blinded by flying glass. Homes, schools and factories were wrecked. The fires that followed completed the destruction. A severe winter storm on the next day, December 7, hampered rescue efforts. Relief trains from Boston and Montreal managed to get through with medical supplies. Financial assistance came from nations around the world including Great Britain, the United States, Russian and France. Local relief organization was fast and effective. The Halifax Relief Commission, founded in January 1918 by the Canadian government, took over the administration of pensions, claims and reconstruction. The Commission continued for nearly 58 years, until June 1976. Every year, the anniversary of the Halifax Explosion is marked by a memorial ceremony. This year, the ninetieth since the disaster, survivors gathered from across Canada, the United States and England to attend the memorial services. I joined them and tagged along to blog the ceremonies being held that day. (Thanks to the Halifax Regional Municipality for the text used as the basis for this summary)

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YouTube | March 24, 2008

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