This nonfiction is an account of a tragedy which occurred in halifax, canada, at the end of the fourth year of the great war. Train dispatcher vince coleman sacrifices his own life to save a train from the halifax explosion. During world war ii, the adjacent cities of halifax and dartmouth, provided heavy support for canadas war effort in europe not long after veday, on the evening of wednesday, july 18, a fire broke out on the jetty of the bedford magazine. Jan 17, 2019 guides to records about the halifax explosion. The halifax explosion still reverberates the globe and mail. A centurys worth of historical accounts, novels and documentaries, plus a tv miniseries, have told and retold the story. Halifax explosion nova scotia canada 1917 about 2000 people killed. Africville, campbell road, halifax, nova scotia 45 19171206. If you are unfamiliar with the explosion in halifax, nova scotia in 1917 then this book would be of interest to you. For more information about the halifax explosion, visit. Century after halifaxs great explosion, city marks. Halifax explosion train dispatcher vince coleman displays heroism during the disaster that took nearly 2,000 lives, including his own 1917 historica canada and christopher hemsworth creative have designed a series of limited edition heritage minutes posters with iconic quotes from each minute.
A young chinese worker volunteers to set a dangerous nitroglycerine charge at a cp construction site in british columbia in the 1880s. A few months ago, i read a book called black snow, a love story set during wwi and the halifax explosion. The display received such an overwhelming public response that in 1994, the museum took on the major project of creating halifax wrecked. Halifax explosion gallery maritime museum of the atlantic. On wednesday, december 6, 2017 we will commemorate 100 years since the halifax. File consists of a series of postcards showing the aftermath of the great halifax explosion, each numbered and captioned.
Halifax author janet kitz says the photo shows how difficult it was for babies to be identified if their mothers were dead. Mar 02, 2016 train dispatcher vince coleman sacrifices his own life to save a train from the halifax explosion. Tides of honour and the blue tattoo september 14, 2015 a few months ago, i read a book called black snow, a love story set during wwi and the halifax explosion. The cargo of the montblanc caught fire, and after burning for 20 minutes, the ship exploded. Her articles on gardening, travel, and the arts have appeared in a variety of publications. Rich in fact and shocking images, the story sets a blistering pace following one mans search through a ruined city for the love of his life as he confronts the wreckage of his past. A former feature writer for the detroit news, his writing has been recognized three times in the best. For more information about sam steele visit the canadian encyclopedia. At around the same time, i heard about a new book coming out set during the same time and place, the blue tattoo. Bacon, a gripping narrative history of the largest manmade detonation prior to hiroshima. Halifax explosion the anatomy of a disaster page 1.
On june 6, 1944, canadian forces landed on juno beach. The legendary mountie evicts an american gambler from the yukon during the klondike gold rush 1898. The blast leveled much of the north end of the city and killed about 2,000 people. On december 6, 1917, as world war i continued in europe, ships carrying troops, supplies and munitions filled the harbour of the port city of halifax, nova scotia. Monctons help after halifax explosion subject of new exhibit. Dday, as this day would become known, was the largest amphibious invasion of all time, led to the liberation of france, and marked the. Collison of 2 ships ignited 3,000 tons of explosives that left 2,000 dead and 25,000 citizens homeless. The bedford magazine explosion was a conflagration resulting in a series of explosions from july 18 to 19, 1945, in bedford, nova scotia, canada. The former united memorial church was erected in the north end of halifax in 1921 to memorialize victims of the halifax explosion and the president of the heritage trust of nova scotia andrew. But tragedy on a massive scale happened on canadian shores on december 6, 1917 when the french cargo ship, the ss mont blanc, and the norwegian ss imo.
New book details the halifax, nova scotia, explosion of 1917. Following in maclennans footsteps, journalist robert macneil penned burden of desire 1992. Dec 06, 2017 guides to records about the halifax explosion. On wednesday, december 6, 2017 we will commemorate 100 years since the halifax explosion. The book has a fairly large print and many contemporary photos. A world war i story of treachery, tragedy and extraordinary heroism, by john u. Century after halifaxs great explosion, city marks anniversary. Babies whose mothers had not been located and children injured in the halifax explosion on dec. Halifax and boston get ready to commemorate the halifax explosions centennial plans are coming together now for 100year anniversary. The halifax explosion is a fresh, revealing account that finally answers questions that have lingered for a century. Dec 02, 2017 new books remember the great halifax explosion.
The halifax explosion occurred on december 6, 1917, when the city of halifax, nova scotia, canada, was devastated by the detonation of the ss montblanc, a french cargo ship that was fully loaded with wartime explosives. Blakely award for outstanding accomplishment in archival work. Dec 04, 2017 on wednesday, december 6, 2017 we will commemorate 100 years since the halifax explosion. The village in the vikings heritage minute was actually shot on a small maquette a diorama, a model and then was made to look life size by changing the frame rate.
Library and archives canada lac holds various records that tell part of the story of the halifax explosion, its aftermath, and the relief work and investigations following the disaster. Halifax explosion gallery georgina miner watch m2018. A goodreads search for halifax explosion returns more than 40 titles. The halifax explosion and the road to recovery by janet f. New book details 1917 halifax, nova scotia, explosion. Oct 08, 2017 monctons help after halifax explosion subject of new exhibit more within three hours of the devastating blast that destroyed much of halifax the morning of dec. New books remember the great halifax explosion the star. The halifax explosion of december 6th,1917 home facebook.
Bacon is the author of the national bestseller the great halifax explosion and four bestselling books about college football, including three and out, fourth and long, endzone, and bos lasting lessons, coauthored with michigan coach bo schembechler. Imo in the harbour, views of streets with razed and ruined houses, the fallen roof of the railroad station, and damaged buildings and churches. Images include people searching for victims amongst wreckage, the s. The montblanc was a munitions ship on its way to join a convoy sailing to wartorn europe. It has been called the worst manmade explosion in history. The heritage minute and other sources contain historical inaccuracies in that coleman is shown warning others in the area surrounding the depot station of the impending explosion. The heritage minutes are a collection of bilingual canadian 60second short films, each depicting a significant person, event or story in canadian history. During world war ii, the adjacent cities of halifax and dartmouth, provided heavy support for canadas war effort in europe.
The halifax explosion was the greatest nonnuclear detonation in history, killing 2,000 people and obliterating homes and businesses over a large swath of the city. A world war i story of treachery, tragedy, and extraordinary heroism bacon, john u. December 6, 1917, is one that halifax, and nova scotia, has never forgotten. Few living people recall that the largest manmade explosion in history prior to the advent of the nuclear age took place in halifax, nova scotia. Was the explosion a disaster triggered by simple human error. Charlotte struggles to find her twin brother after the rest of her family is killed in the tragic halifax explosion. On the morning of december 6, 1917, two ships, the imo and the montblanc, collided in the narrows of halifax harbour. It was that day, that moment, and that devastating aftermath, composer, vocal instructor, singer, and lunenburg native mary knickle has aimed to capture in an upcoming requiem she wrote for the 100 year anniversary of the halifax explosion. The halifax explosion was the biggest canadian tragedy in terms of life loss and despair.
Surviving the blast that shook a nation was published by altitude in 2003. It came in the form of an event that is known as the halifax explosion. Sep 14, 2015 two more books about the halifax explosion. No safe harbour is set in the months before and after the december 6, 1917 halifax explosion, which was the largest manmade blast in history. This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising. The destruction from the halifax explosion of 1917 can be witnessed almost a century later through images captured in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. Kitz 4 times halifax explosion by graham metson 3 times too many to mourn by james mahar 3 times burden of desire harvest book by robert macneil 3 times miracles and mysteries.
Kitz 4 times halifax explosion by graham metson 3 times too many to mourn by james mahar 3 times burden of desire harvest book by robert macneil 3 times. First released in 1991, they have been shown on television, in cinemas and online, and have become a part of canadian culture. The norwegian ship imo left the protected anchorage of bedford basin, outbound for new york to load food and clothing for the. On the morning of december 6 th, 1917, the steamship montblanc, inbound from the atlantic with war material for france, entered the halifax harbour narrows. A new requiem for the halifax explosion tells the story. I even listed it in my hopeful reading list for 2015, and finally got to it while on vacation in august in the meantime, i discovered yet. Georgina miner courtesy of georgie engelleder wolfville nurse georgina curry miner was aboard one of the earliest trains to enter the city in the blasts immediate aftermath. It was the result of an unlikely collision in the narrows of halifax harbour, involving the french ship, mont blanc loaded with tons of wet and dry picric acid, tnt, gun cotton and benzol and the belgian relief vessel, imo, under norwegian registry.
This canadian history for kids, sketches of our canada, looks at the devastation created by the halifax explosion of december 6, 1917 on december 6, 1917, as world war i continued in europe, ships carrying troops, supplies and munitions filled the harbour of the port city of halifax, nova scotia. Fiction about the halifax explosion disaster that occurred in 1917 and killed 2,000 people. Vince coleman was also the subject of a heritage minute and was a prominent character in the cbc miniseries shattered city. Recognizing the significance of the 1917 halifax harbour explosion as part of nova scotian history, the maritime museum of the atlantic developed a temporary exhibit in 1987 entitled a moment in time. Halifaxs council minute digitizaton project was awarded the council of nova scotia archives 2015 dr. A scoring method included consideration of enduring legacy, innovation and public engagement. There are other books that are much more detailed but this book is certainly a good beginning. Halifax explosion library and archives canada blog. Monctons help after halifax explosion subject of new exhibit more within three hours of the devastating blast that destroyed much of halifax the morning of dec. This canadian history for kids, sketches of our canada, looks at the devastation created by the halifax explosion of december 6, 1917. The author relates the circumstances of the accident that caused the explosion, as well as the recovery efforts and subsequent inquiry into the event. Dec 06, 2017 100 years ago today the halifax explosion nearly destroyed halifax, nova scotia, canada dick eastman december 6, 2017 history 2 comments on the morning of 6 december 1917, the ss montblanc, a french cargo ship laden with high explosives left the dock in halifax, nova scotia, and headed for bordeaux, france.
Halifax explosion books tagged halifax explosion librarything. Nov 30, 2017 a centurys worth of historical accounts, novels and documentaries, plus a tv miniseries, have told and retold the story. Bacons the great halifax explosion is the seminal account of one of the bloodiest manmade disasters in world history, which killed some 2,000 people. The threeyear project involved scanning each page of the original minutebooks, or the microfilm of minutes, when its quality was adequate. Halifaxs harbor after the explosion in december 1917. Though at times he is a bit too breathy with his foreshadowing it was now only minutes before a cataclysmic explosion the likes of. Score a books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book.
Nov 21, 2017 this is the unforgettable story told in john u. The halifax explosion has frequently been the subject of works of popular culture the canonical novel barometer rising 1941 by the canadian writer hugh maclennan is set in halifax at the time of the explosion and includes a carefully researched description of its impact on the city. Dec 06, 2017 but residents of halifax, and canadians in general, associate the city with an even more deadly maritime disaster an explosion in 1917 after a seemingly minor harbor collision between a french. Dec 05, 2017 black snow is a love story set during the halifax explosion.