Halifax explosion of 1917

▪ Canadian history

      devastating explosion on Dec. 6, 1917, that occurred when a munitions ship blew up in Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia, Can. More than 1,500 people died and more than 9,000 were injured in a disaster that flattened more than 1 square mile (2.5 square km) of the city of Halifax.

      Shortly before 9:00 AM the Imo, a supply ship for the Belgian Relief Commission (a World War I-era relief organization), headed out of Halifax Harbour and found itself on a collision course with the French ship Mont-Blanc. Unbeknownst to others in the harbour, the Mont-Blanc was carrying explosives destined for the French war effort. After exchanging warning signals, both vessels initiated evasion maneuvers but ultimately collided. The French ship caught fire and drifted into a pier. As crowds gathered, emergency personnel tried to control the damage, but just after 9:00 AM the Mont-Blanc exploded. The blast and the resulting tsunami, which surged approximately 60 feet (18 metres) above the high-water mark, destroyed more than 1,600 buildings and scattered debris for several miles. In the aftermath of the explosion, hospitals were inundated with the wounded, and morgues struggled to identify and document the dead. News of the disaster spread quickly, and aid soon arrived from within Canada as well as from the United States.

      The Halifax community remembers the disaster each December 6 with a service at the memorial bell tower located in Fort Needham Park. Internationally, the incident influenced the adoption of stricter maritime laws regarding cargo identification and harbour traffic control.

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