December 1917: Re-Visiting the Halifax Explosion

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

There’s no shortage of books on the topic, yet, outside of Nova
Scotia, the Halifax Explosion seldom receives appropriate recognition as
a major event in Canadian history. Few Canadians know that, until
Hiroshima, it was the largest man-made explosion the world had
experienced.

The story of the devastation of the explosion is told in this book by
using the unusual structure of a tour of memorials and other relevant
sites as they appear today. As preparation for this framework, the book
gives a brief review of the development of Halifax and Dartmouth, the
situation in the harbour during World War I, the cause of the explosion,
the nature and extent of the devastation, and the recovery work.

The explosion was caused when a ship fully loaded with a cargo of
munitions headed for the war in Europe collided with a ship carrying
relief supplies for Belgium. The massive explosion that resulted killed
at least 2,000 people, injured 9,000 more, and caused such extensive
property damage that some newspapers reported every building in the city
was damaged. When the ships collided, people rushed to windows—in
homes, schools, workplaces—to see the fire in the harbour. As a
result, minutes later when the munitions exploded, thousands were cut
and blinded as window glass shattered.

The implosion caused buildings to cave in or collapse. This was
followed by hundreds of fires, as coal-fired furnaces and wood stoves
were upset. The weather was cold—it happened in December—and
thousands were suddenly homeless, without food and clothing, and frantic
to find injured family members. The disaster created a large number of
orphans, and left livestock and pets without shelter, care, or food.
Businesses, schools, and churches were destroyed. There was an instant
need for shelter, hospitals, morgues, graves, and medical personnel.

Much of the text is tied to specific sites, explaining the extent of
the damage at that location, the numbers who died there, and the
rebuilding, if relevant. Memories of survivors and their family stories
are incorporated when possible. There’s good information on the
reconstruction work, including information on the little-known
hydrostone district, the oldest planned community in Canada. Photos,
both archival and current, are used extensively. The numerous
before-and-after shots are especially interesting.

The detailing of sites, survivor stories, more than 150 photos, and
reconstruction information make the book a unique and valuable addition
to the literature.