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Halifax Explosion -- 6 December 1917
The devastating explosion in Halifax harbour on December 6, 1917 brought the horrific carnage and
destruction of the First World War to Canada's doorstep. The blast, which is said to have
been the largest man-made detonation before the invention of the atomic bomb, levelled
approximately 2 square kilometres of Halifax and was reported to have been heard as far away as
Prince Edward Island.
Halifax harbour was Canada's maritime nerve
centre during the First World War. Troop transports, supply vessels and warships all plied the
crowded waters around the city embarking and returning from the War effort. On the morning of
December 6, 1917, two such vessels, the Imo, a Norwegian vessel employed in the Belgium Relief effort
and the French munitions ship Mont Blanc,
collided at the narrowest portion of the harbour, just outside of the large Bedford Basin staging
area. The Mont Blanc was carrying over 2,500 tons of benzol fuel, TNT, picric acid and gun cotton.
It is believed that immediately after the initial collision, the on-deck stores of benzol began to
leak and soon ignited. The crew, knowing the danger that they were in, abandoned ship and headed
for Dartmouth while the ship drifted towards Pier 6 on the Halifax side. A large group of
bystanders, unaware of the volatile cargo, started to gather near the pier to watch the
spectacle of the Mont Blanc as it drew closer to the shore.
In an unimaginable flash of light the Mont Blanc
exploded, barely 20 minutes after the initial collision. All lines of communication
with the city were immediately severed. Over 1,600 people died in the immediate blast with later
deaths rising to over 2,000 souls. As in all disasters of this nature,
the exact number of those
affected will never be known; however, varying accounts argue that up to 9,000 were
injured, including approximately 200 to 600 people that were blinded. An outpouring of support
came from the rest of Canada, and the world, to assist Haligonians affected by the tragedy. One
of the longest running measures of assistance to victims of the explosion is the Halifax Relief
Commission. Now administered by the federal Department of Veterans Affairs, this program
continues to help the remaining victims 84 years after the explosion.
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National Archives of Canada
RG 24, series D-1-a, vol. 5634, file 37-25-1,
part 1 |
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