Bedford Basin is a large enclosed bay , forming the northwestern end of Halifax Harbour on Canada 's Atlantic coast. It is named in honour of John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford .
145-474: Geographically, the basin is situated entirely within the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) and is oriented northwest-southeast, measuring approximately 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) long and 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) wide, surrounded by low hills measuring up to 160 metres (520 ft) in elevation, although most elevations range up to 30–60 metres (98–197 ft). The basin is fed by water from
290-404: A humid continental climate ( Köppen Dfb ), with warm summers and relatively mild winters, which is due to Gulf Stream moderation. The weather is usually milder in the winter or cooler in the summer than areas at similar latitudes inland, with the temperature remaining (with occasional notable exceptions) between about −8 and 28 °C (18 and 82 °F). January is the coldest month, being
435-482: A 2.6-kilometre (1.6 mi) radius, over 12,000 in total, was destroyed or badly damaged. Hundreds of people who had been watching the fire from their homes were blinded when the blast wave shattered the windows in front of them. Overturned stoves and lamps started fires throughout Halifax, particularly in the North End , where entire city blocks burned, trapping residents inside their houses. Firefighter Billy Wells, who
580-537: A half-hour later. The American steamship Old Colony , docked in Halifax for repairs, suffered little damage and was quickly converted to serve as a hospital ship, staffed by doctors and orderlies from the British and American navy vessels in the harbour. Dazed survivors immediately feared that the explosion was the result of a bomb dropped from a German plane. Troops at gun batteries and barracks immediately turned out in case
725-475: A line to the French ship's stern so as to pull it away from the pier to avoid setting it on fire. The five-inch (125 mm) hawser initially produced was deemed too small and orders for a ten-inch (250 mm) hawser came down. It was at this point that the blast occurred. At 9:04:35 am the out-of-control fire on board Mont-Blanc set off her cargo of high explosives. The ship was completely blown apart and
870-441: A number of radio and television programs are made in the region for national broadcast. In 2020, filming began on the series Pub Crawl, which explores the historically significant bars of Halifax. The new Halifax Central Library on Spring Garden Road has received accolades for its architecture and has been described as a new cultural locus, offering many community facilities including a 300-seat auditorium. Halifax's urban core
1015-527: A plaque was unveiled at Bedford Lake, Griesbach, Edmonton , Alberta, in recognition of the role played by Bedford Basin in the world wars. "Bedford Basin is a large enclosed anchorage, forming the northwestern end of Halifax Harbour in Nova Scotia on Canada's Atlantic coast. The basin is quite deep and the good holding ground on the basin floor makes it an ideal anchorage and a protected location for ships. The Basin came to international significance during both
1160-427: A powerful blast wave radiated away from the explosion initially at more than 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) per second. Temperatures of 5,000 °C (9,000 °F) and pressures of thousands of atmospheres accompanied the moment of detonation at the centre of the explosion. White-hot shards of iron fell down upon Halifax and Dartmouth. A cloud of white smoke rose to at least 3,600 metres (11,800 ft). The blast
1305-490: A preliminary hearing heard by Stipendiary Magistrate Richard A. McLeod, and bound over for trial. A Nova Scotia Supreme Court justice, Benjamin Russell , found there was no evidence to support these charges. Mackey was discharged on a writ of habeas corpus and the charges dropped. Because the pilot and the captain were arrested on the same warrant, the charges against Le Médec were also dismissed. Commander Wyatt, charged on
1450-462: A racially segregated building under generally poor conditions and most were eventually dispersed around Nova Scotia. The Black community of Africville , on the southern shores of Bedford Basin adjacent to the Halifax Peninsula , was spared the direct force of the blast by the shadow effect of the raised ground to the south. However, Africville's small and frail homes were heavily damaged by
1595-540: A rescue party ashore. Out at sea, the American cruiser USS Tacoma and armed merchant cruiser USS Von Steuben (formerly SS Kronprinz Wilhelm ) were passing Halifax en route to the United States. Tacoma was rocked so severely by the blast wave that her crew went to general quarters . Spotting the large and rising column of smoke, Tacoma altered course and arrived to assist rescue at 2 pm. Von Steuben arrived
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#17330859031891740-644: A sailor and began to flee. Coleman remembered that an incoming passenger train from Saint John, New Brunswick , was due to arrive at the railyard within minutes. He returned to his post alone and continued to send out urgent telegraph messages to stop the train. Several variations of the message have been reported, among them this from the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic : "Hold up the train. Ammunition ship afire in harbor making for Pier 6 and will explode. Guess this will be my last message. Good-bye boys." Coleman's message
1885-416: A scenic wilderness in close proximity to the urban communities. Halifax's tourism industry showcases Nova Scotia's culture, scenery and coastline. There are several museums and art galleries in downtown Halifax. The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 , an immigrant entry point prominent throughout the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, was opened to the public as a National Historic Site of Canada in 1999 and
2030-466: A separate warrant, was the only one of the three who was indicted. On 17 April 1918, a jury acquitted Wyatt in a trial that lasted less than a day. Drysdale oversaw the first civil litigation trial, in which the owners of the two ships sought damages from each other. His decision (27 April 1918) found Mont-Blanc entirely at fault. Subsequent appeals to the Supreme Court of Canada (19 May 1919), and
2175-543: A short blast of his ship's signal whistle to indicate that he had the right of way but was met with two short blasts from Imo , indicating that the approaching vessel would not yield its position. The captain ordered Mont-Blanc to halt her engines and angle slightly to starboard, closer to the Dartmouth side of the Narrows. He let out another single blast of his whistle, hoping the other vessel would likewise move to starboard but
2320-550: A sloop of war on June 21, 1749. By unilaterally establishing Halifax, the British were violating earlier treaties with the Mi'kmaq (1726), which were signed after Father Rale's War . Cornwallis brought along 1,176 settlers and their families. To guard against Mi'kmaq, Acadian and French attacks on the new Protestant settlements, British fortifications were erected in Halifax (Citadel Hill) (1749), Bedford ( Fort Sackville ) (1749), Dartmouth (1750), and Lawrencetown (1754), all areas within
2465-495: A slow convoy gathering in Bedford Basin readying to depart for Europe but was too late to enter the harbour before the nets were raised. Ships carrying dangerous cargo were not allowed into the harbour before the war, but the risks posed by German submarines had resulted in a relaxation of regulations. Navigating into or out of Bedford Basin required passage through a strait called the Narrows. Ships were expected to keep close to
2610-545: A special unit to clear and repair railway yards as well as rebuild railway piers and the Naval Dockyard. Most piers returned to operation by late December and were repaired by January. The North End Halifax neighbourhood of Richmond bore the brunt of the explosion. In 1917, Richmond was considered a working-class neighbourhood and had few paved roads. After the explosion, the Halifax Relief Commission approached
2755-413: A tree-lined, paved boulevard. They specified that the homes be built with a new and innovative fireproof material, blocks of compressed cement called Hydrostone. The first of these homes was occupied by March 1919, just a few months before Prince Edward, Prince of Wales , visited the site on 17 August, touring many of the houses and hearing stories about the impacts of the tragedy and "of the kindness of
2900-666: A wide array of world cuisines. There are also more than 60 sidewalk cafes that open in the summer months. The nightlife is made up of bars and small music venues as well as Casino Nova Scotia , a large facility built partially over the water. Cruise ships visit the province frequently. In 2015, the Port of Halifax welcomed 141 vessel calls with 222,309 passengers. Halifax is the Atlantic region's central point for radio broadcast and press media. CBC Television , CTV Television Network (CTV), and Global Television Network and other broadcasters all have important regional television concentrators in
3045-614: Is Kjipuktuk , pronounced "che-book-took". The name means "Great Harbour" in the Mi'kmaq language . The first permanent European settlement in the region was on the Halifax Peninsula . The establishment of the Town of Halifax , named after the 2nd Earl of Halifax , in 1749 led to the colonial capital being transferred from Annapolis Royal . The establishment of Halifax marked the beginning of Father Le Loutre's War . The war began when Edward Cornwallis arrived to establish Halifax with 13 transports and
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#17330859031893190-471: Is a major cultural centre within the Atlantic provinces . The municipality has maintained many of its maritime and military traditions, while opening itself to a growing multicultural population. The municipality's urban core also benefits from a large population of post-secondary students who strongly influence the local cultural scene. Halifax has a number of art galleries, theatres and museums, as well as most of
3335-433: Is a popular site for concerts, political demonstrations, as well as the annual Remembrance Day ceremony at the central cenotaph . Another popular downtown public space is the timber Halifax Boardwalk , which stretches approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) and is integrated with several squares and monuments. The Halifax Common , granted for the use of citizens in 1763, is Canada's oldest public park. Centrally located on
3480-662: Is an economic centre of Atlantic Canada, home to a concentration of government offices and private companies. Major employers include the Department of National Defence , Dalhousie University , Nova Scotia Health Authority , Saint Mary's University , the Halifax Shipyard , various levels of government, and the Port of Halifax . Resource industries found in rural areas of the municipality include agriculture, fishing, mining, forestry, and natural gas extraction. The Mi'kmaq name for Halifax
3625-642: Is heavy in winter, but snow cover is usually patchy owing to the frequent freeze-thaw cycles, which melt accumulated snow. Some winters feature colder temperatures and fewer freeze-thaw cycles; the most recent of which being the winter of 2014–2015, which was the coldest, snowiest and stormiest in about a century. Spring is often wet and cool and arrives much later than in areas of Canada at similar latitudes, due to cooler sea temperatures. Summers are mild and pleasant, with hot and humid conditions very infrequent. Warm, pleasant conditions often extend well into September, sometimes into mid-October. Average monthly precipitation
3770-539: Is highest from November to February due to intense late-fall to winter storms migrating from the Northeastern U.S., and lowest in summer, with August being the year's warmest and driest month on average. Halifax can sometimes receive hurricanes, mostly between August and October. An example is when Hurricane Juan , a category 2 storm, hit in September 2003 and caused considerable damage to the region. Hurricane Earl grazed
3915-492: Is home to a number of regional landmark buildings and retains significant historic buildings and districts. Downtown office towers are overlooked by the fortress of Citadel Hill with its iconic Halifax Town Clock . The architecture of Halifax's South End is renowned for its grand Victorian houses while the West End and North End, Halifax have many blocks of well-preserved wooden residential houses with notable features such as
4060-499: Is housed in a 150-year-old building containing nearly 19,000 works of art. The Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia in Dartmouth reflects the region's rich ethnic heritage. Halifax has numerous National Historic Sites , most notably Citadel Hill (Fort George) . Just outside the urban area, the iconic Peggys Cove is internationally recognized and receives more than 600,000 visitors a year. The waterfront in Downtown Halifax
4205-850: Is represented by three professional sports teams, with teams in the National Lacrosse League (NLL), the Canadian Premier League (CPL), and the newest league, the Northern Super League (NSL), a planned Division I professional women's soccer league in Canada. Also, Halifax has a semi-professional sports team in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), which is part of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Halifax Explosion On
4350-598: Is the capital and most populous municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia , and the most populous municipality in Atlantic Canada . As of 2023, it is estimated that the population of the Halifax CMA was 518,711, with 348,634 people in its urban area . The regional municipality consists of four former municipalities that were amalgamated in 1996: Halifax , Dartmouth , Bedford , and Halifax County . Halifax
4495-442: Is the only national museum in the Atlantic provinces. The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a maritime museum containing extensive galleries including a large exhibit on the famous Titanic , over 70 small craft and a 200-foot (61 m) steamship CSS Acadia . In summertime the preserved World War II corvette HMCS Sackville operates as a museum ship and Canada's naval memorial. The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
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4640-529: Is the site of the Halifax Harbourwalk , a 3-kilometre (2 mi) boardwalk popular among tourists and locals alike. Many mid-sized ships dock here at one of the many wharfs. The harbourwalk is home to a Halifax Transit ferry terminal, hundreds of stores, Historic Properties , several office buildings, the Casino Nova Scotia , and several public squares where buskers perform, most prominently at
4785-595: Is unknown as the Department of Indian Affairs and census records for the community were incomplete. Nine bodies were recovered from Turtle Grove and there were eleven known survivors. The Halifax Remembrance Book lists 16 members of the Tufts Cove Community as dead; not all the dead listed as in Tufts Cove were Indigenous. The Turtle Grove settlement was not rebuilt in the wake of the disaster. Survivors were housed in
4930-501: The 2016 Canadian Census and the 2021 Canadian Census . Before the 2021 Canadian Census , Metropolitan Halifax covered 549,631 hectares (5,496.31 square kilometres; 2,122.14 square miles) After the addition of the Municipality of East Hants , the metropolitan area's land area expanded by 177,991 hectares (1,779.91 km ) to its current land area. Halifax has two distinct areas: its rural area and its urban area. Since 1 April 1996,
5075-586: The Commission for Relief in Belgium to pick up a cargo of relief supplies in New York. On Mont-Blanc , the impact damaged benzol barrels stored on deck, leaking vapours which were ignited by sparks from the collision, setting off a fire on board that quickly grew out of control. Approximately 20 minutes later at 9:04:35 am, Mont-Blanc exploded. Nearly all structures within an 800-metre (half-mile) radius, including
5220-651: The First World War , the Canadian government began a determined, costly effort to develop the harbour and waterfront facilities. The outbreak of the war brought Halifax back to prominence. As the Royal Canadian Navy had virtually no seaworthy ships of its own, the Royal Navy assumed responsibility for maintaining Atlantic trade routes by re-adopting Halifax as its North American base of operations. In 1915, management of
5365-622: The Halifax Explosion , devastated the Richmond District in the North End of Halifax, killing approximately 2,000 people and injuring nearly 9,000 others. The blast was the largest artificial explosion before the development of nuclear weapons. Significant aid came from Boston , strengthening the bond between the two coastal cities . The four municipalities in the Halifax urban area had been coordinating delivery of some services through
5510-590: The Halifax Harbour . This has resulted in some modern high rises being built at unusual angles or locations. The Halifax area has a variety of public spaces, ranging from urban gardens, public squares, expansive forested parks, and historic sites. The original grid plan devised when Halifax was founded in 1749 included a central military parade square, the Grand Parade . The square hosts the City Hall at one end, and
5655-717: The Halifax Pop Explosion , periodic Tall Ship events, the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo , and Shakespeare by the Sea—to name a few. Halifax Pride is the largest LGBT event in Atlantic Canada and one of the largest in the country. Many of Halifax's festivals and annual events have become world-renowned over the past several years. Halifax is home to many performance venues, namely the Music Room,
5800-665: The Halifax Transit ferry service. There are smaller performance venues at the Halifax Central Library , Citadel High School (Spatz Theatre), and Halifax West High School ( Bella Rose Arts Centre ). Halifax has also become a significant film production centre, with many American and Canadian filmmakers using the streetscapes, often to stand in for other cities that are more expensive to work in. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has its Atlantic Canada production centres (radio and television) based in Halifax, and quite
5945-617: The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London (22 March 1920), determined Mont-Blanc and Imo were equally to blame for navigational errors that led to the collision. No party was ever convicted for any crime or otherwise successfully prosecuted for any actions that precipitated the disaster. Efforts began shortly after the explosion to clear debris, repair buildings, and establish temporary housing for survivors left homeless by
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6090-608: The Musquodoboit Valley to rocky and heavily forested rolling hills. It includes a number of islands and peninsulas, among them McNabs Island , Beaver Island , Melville Island , Deadman's Island and Sable Island . The Halifax Regional Centre includes the Halifax Peninsula , and Dartmouth inside the Circumferential Highway. The new inner urban area covers 3,300 hectares (33 square kilometres; 13 square miles) and houses 96,619 people in 55,332 dwelling units as of
6235-589: The Neptune Theatre , and Rebecca Cohn Auditorium . The Neptune Theatre, a 43-year-old establishment located on Argyle Street, is Halifax's largest theatre. It performs an assortment of professionally produced plays year-round. The Shakespeare by the Sea theatre company performs at nearby Point Pleasant Park . Eastern Front Theatre performs at Alderney Landing in Downtown Dartmouth which can easily be accessed via
6380-636: The North British Society , as well as a fountain. In contrast to the urban parks, the expansive Point Pleasant Park at the southern tip of the peninsula is heavily forested and contains the remains of numerous British fortifications. Located on the opposite side of the harbour, the Dartmouth Commons is a large park next to Downtown Dartmouth laid out in the 1700s. It is home to the Leighton Dillman gardens and various sports grounds. Nearby,
6525-589: The Oland Brewery and parts of the Starr Manufacturing Company. Nova Scotia Hospital was the only hospital in Dartmouth and many of the victims were treated there. There were small enclaves of Mi'kmaq in and around the coves of Bedford Basin on the Dartmouth shore. Directly opposite to Pier 9 on the Halifax side sat a community in Tufts Cove which included the Mi'kmaq community of Turtle Grove. In
6670-547: The Sackville River and has a maximum depth of 71 metres (233 ft); The basin's geologic history can be traced to the Wisconsin Glaciation when it, along with "The Narrows", formed part of the pre-historic Sackville River valley. The basin contains the following sub-basins: Bedford on the northwestern corner takes its name from the basin, while Dartmouth sits on its eastern shore and Rockingham occupies
6815-476: The Tufts Cove area for generations. Relief efforts began almost immediately, and hospitals quickly became full. Rescue trains began arriving the day of the explosion from across Nova Scotia and New Brunswick while other trains from central Canada and the Northeastern United States were impeded by blizzards. Construction of temporary shelters to house the many people left homeless began soon after
6960-723: The York Redoubt at Ferguson's Cove , as well as fortifications on Georges Island , and McNabs Island . These defences were a part of the Halifax Defence Complex . In 1907, the Royal Naval Dockyards was transferred to the Government of Canada, and continues to operate as CFB Halifax . The basin played a key role during the First and Second World Wars when commercial shipping was being attacked by enemy submarines . Given
7105-457: The amalgamation of Halifax in 1996 , and since its restructure as a municipality , the growth of Halifax has gradually increased. Many of the present day communities within the conurbation have morphed from being primarily rural in the recent past, to now primarily urban. With the demographic change and growth of many communities within urban Halifax, their function and role within the conurbation has changed. With this continuous growth, many of
7250-463: The side of the channel situated on their starboard ("right"), and pass oncoming vessels "port to port", that is to keep them on their "left" side. Ships were restricted to a speed of 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) within the harbour. Imo was granted clearance to leave Bedford Basin by signals from the guard ship HMCS Acadia at approximately 7:30 on the morning of 6 December, with Pilot William Hayes on board. The ship entered
7395-530: The "Halifax Porch". Dalhousie University 's campus is often featured in films and documentaries. Surrounding areas of the municipality, including Dartmouth and Bedford, also possess their share of historic neighbourhoods and properties. The urban core is home to several blocks of typical North American high-rise office buildings; however, segments of the downtown are governed by height restrictions, known as "view planes legislation", which prevent buildings from obstructing certain sight lines between Citadel Hill and
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#17330859031897540-519: The 2016 Census. The Regional Centre has many public services within its boundaries, and it hosts large entertainment venues ( Scotiabank Centre ), and major hospitals ( Dartmouth General Hospital , the QEII Health Sciences Centre , and IWK Health Centre ). Halifax is geographically large, and there are over 200 official communities and neighbourhoods within the municipality. They vary from rural to urban. The former town of Bedford , and
7685-588: The Acadia Sugar Refinery, disappeared into unrecognizable heaps of rubble, killing most of their workers. The Nova Scotia cotton mill located 1.5 km (0.93 mile) from the blast was destroyed by fire and the collapse of its concrete floors. The Royal Naval College of Canada building was badly damaged, and several cadets and instructors maimed. The Richmond Railway Yards and station were destroyed, killing 55 railway workers and destroying and damaging over 500 railway cars. The North Street Station , one of
7830-561: The Blind , Halifax became internationally known as a centre for care for the blind", according to Dalhousie University professor Victoria Allen. The lack of coordinated pediatric care in such a disaster was noted by William Ladd , a surgeon from Boston who had arrived to help. His insights from the explosion are generally credited with inspiring him to pioneer the specialty of pediatric surgery in North America. The Halifax Explosion inspired
7975-576: The Colonies when Halifax was founded in 1749. The North American station of the Royal Navy was based just outside the entrance of the basin from 1759 to 1905, at the Royal Naval Dockyards . The naval base served as the station's headquarters until 1818, when it became the summer headquarters of the station. Defences were built around the approach towards the basin's entrance, with the construction of
8120-435: The Dartmouth waterfront trail stretches from Downtown Dartmouth to Woodside. Among residents of central Dartmouth, the area around Sullivan's Pond and Lake Banook is popular for strolling and paddling. The forested Shubie Park , through which the historic Shubenacadie Canal runs, is a major park in suburban Dartmouth. Mainland Halifax is home to several significant parks, including Sir Sandford Fleming Park , gifted to
8265-709: The First and Second World Wars when the German navy began to use submarines as an offensive weapon against Allied shipping Canada's prominent role in the First World War led to Halifax being chosen as the primary logistic port for resupplying Western Europe. The protected waters of Bedford Basin allowed the Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy to assemble convoys consisting of hundreds of merchant ships in relative security while torpedo nets kept German submarines at bay. As observed By Rear Admiral Leonard W. Murray (RCN), Halifax saw first hand
8410-546: The Halifax Explosion was the standard by which all large blasts were measured. For instance, in its report on the atomic bombing of Hiroshima , Time wrote that the explosive power of the Little Boy bomb was seven times that of the Halifax Explosion. The many eye injuries resulting from the disaster led to better understanding of how to care for damaged eyes, and "with the recently formed Canadian National Institute for
8555-477: The Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), although "Halifax" has remained in common usage for brevity. On April 15, 2014, regional council approved the implementation of a new branding campaign for the municipality. The campaign would see the region referred to in promotional materials simply as "Halifax", although "Halifax Regional Municipality" would remain the region's official name. Halifax has
8700-410: The Halifax dockyard required some degree of rebuilding, as did HMCS Niobe and the docks themselves; all of the Royal Canadian Navy's minesweepers and patrol boats were undamaged. Prime Minister Robert Borden pledged that the government would be "co-operating in every way to reconstruct the Port of Halifax: this was of utmost importance to the Empire". Captain Symington of USS Tacoma speculated that
8845-417: The Halifax peninsula, the wide fields are a popular location for sports. The slopes of Citadel Hill , overlooking downtown, are favoured by sunbathers and kite-flyers. The Halifax Public Gardens , a short walk away, are Victorian era public gardens formally established in 1867 and designated a National Historic Site in 1984. Victoria Park , across the street, contains various monuments and statues erected by
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#17330859031898990-421: The Metropolitan Authority since the late 1970s, but remained independent towns and cities until April 1, 1996, when the provincial government amalgamated all municipal governments within Halifax County to create the Halifax Regional Municipality. The municipal boundary thus now includes all of Halifax County except for several First Nation reserves. Since amalgamation, the region has officially been known as
9135-412: The Narrows well above the harbour's speed limit in an attempt to make up for the delay experienced in loading her coal. Imo met American tramp steamer SS Clara being piloted up the wrong (western) side of the harbour. The pilots agreed to pass starboard-to-starboard. Soon afterwards, Imo was forced to head even further towards the Dartmouth shore after passing the tugboat Stella Maris , which
9280-432: The Netherlands en route to New York to take on relief supplies for Belgium, under the command of Haakon From. The ship arrived in Halifax on 3 December for neutral inspection and spent two days in Bedford Basin awaiting refuelling supplies. Though she had been given clearance to leave the port on 5 December, Imo ' s departure was delayed because her coal load did not arrive until late that afternoon. The loading of fuel
9425-399: The No. 1 hold of Mont Blanc , on her starboard side. The collision occurred at 8:45 am. The damage to Mont Blanc was not severe, but barrels of deck cargo toppled and broke open. This flooded the deck with benzol that quickly flowed into the hold. As Imo ' s engines kicked in, she disengaged, which created sparks inside Mont-Blanc ' s hull. These ignited the vapours from
9570-535: The Royal Canadian Navy. The convoys departed under the protection of British cruisers and destroyers . A large army garrison protected the city with forts, gun batteries , and anti-submarine nets. These factors drove a major military, industrial, and residential expansion of the city, and the weight of goods passing through the harbour increased nearly ninefold. All neutral ships bound for ports in North America were required to report to Halifax for inspection. The Norwegian ship SS Imo had sailed from
9715-476: The ammunition magazine at Wellington Barracks as naval personnel extinguished a fire by the magazine. The fire was quickly put out; the cloud was seen from blocks away and quickly led to rumours that another explosion was imminent. Uniformed officers ordered everyone away from the area. As the rumour spread across the city, many families fled their homes. The confusion hampered efforts for over two hours until fears were dispelled by about noon. Many rescuers ignored
9860-429: The annual Halifax International Busker Festival every August. Downtown Halifax, home to many small shops and vendors, is a major shopping area. It is also home to several shopping centres, including Scotia Square , Barrington Place Shops, and Maritime Mall . Numerous malls on Spring Garden Road , including the Park Lane Mall , are also located nearby. The area is home to approximately 200 restaurants and bars, offering
10005-430: The barges and steaming back towards Pier 6 to spray the burning ship with their fire hose. The tug's captain, Horatio H. Brannen, and his crew realized that the fire was too intense for their single hose and backed off from the burning Mont Blanc . They were approached by a whaler from HMS Highflyer and later a steam pinnace belonging to HMCS Niobe . Captain Brannen and Albert Mattison of Niobe agreed to secure
10150-416: The basin at Fairview Cove hosts one of Halifax's two container terminals as well as the railway yard , Pace Yard, operated by Canadian National Railway (CN). The east shore of the basin hosts Burnside Industrial Park , the largest industrial park in HRM, as well as a bulk gypsum terminal at Wrights Cove and the Bedford Institute of Oceanography (which also derives its name from the basin) situated near
10295-407: The basin was the site of the Halifax Explosion , where two ships collided in the basin causing an explosion that levelled most of the surrounding area. In 1994, the defences that protected Bedford Basin were designated a National Historic Site of Canada , commemorating the assembly of convoys in Bedford Basin during the Second World War. In 2010, on the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Navy,
10440-444: The benzol. A fire started at the water line and travelled quickly up the side of the ship. Surrounded by thick black smoke, and fearing she would explode almost immediately, the captain ordered the crew to abandon ship. A growing number of Halifax citizens gathered on the street or stood at the windows of their homes or businesses to watch the spectacular fire. The frantic crew of Mont-Blanc shouted from their two lifeboats to some of
10585-480: The blast, tsunami, and collapse of buildings. The last body, a caretaker killed at the Exhibition Grounds, was not recovered until summer 1919. An additional 9,000 were injured. 1,630 homes were destroyed in the explosion and fires, and another 12,000 damaged; roughly 6,000 people were left homeless and 25,000 had insufficient shelter. The city's industrial sector was in large part gone, with many workers among
10730-483: The boundaries of Taylor Head Provincial Park . The northeastern area of the municipality, centred on Sheet Harbour and the Musquodoboit Valley, is completely rural, with the area sharing more in common with the adjacent rural areas of neighbouring Guysborough , Pictou and Colchester counties. Most economic activity in the Musquodoboit Valley is based on agriculture, as it is the largest farming district in
10875-404: The bow of Imo in a last-second bid to avoid a collision. The two ships were almost parallel to each other, when Imo suddenly sent out three signal blasts, indicating the ship was reversing its engines. The combination of the cargoless ship's height in the water and the transverse thrust of her right-hand propeller caused the ship's head to swing into Mont-Blanc . Imo ' s prow pushed into
11020-401: The busiest in Canada, was badly damaged. The death toll could have been worse had it not been for the self-sacrifice of an Intercolonial Railway dispatcher, Patrick Vincent (Vince) Coleman , operating at the railyard about 230 metres (750 ft) from Pier 6, where the explosion occurred. He and his co-worker, William Lovett, learned of the dangerous cargo aboard the burning Mont-Blanc from
11165-583: The casualties and the dockyard heavily damaged. A mortuary committee chaired by Alderman R. B. Coldwell was quickly formed at Halifax City Hall on the morning of the disaster. The Chebucto Road School (now the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts ) in Halifax's west end was chosen as a central morgue. A company of the Royal Canadian Engineers (RCE) repaired and converted the basement of
11310-461: The city was under attack, but within an hour switched from defence to rescue roles as the cause and location of the explosion were determined. All available troops were called in from harbour fortifications and barracks to the North End to rescue survivors and provide transport to the city's hospitals, including the two army hospitals in the city. Adding to the chaos were fears of a potential second explosion. A cloud of steam shot out of ventilators at
11455-413: The city's hospitals, which were quickly overwhelmed. The new military hospital, Camp Hill, admitted approximately 1,400 victims on 6 December. Firefighters were among the first to respond to the disaster, rushing to Mont-Blanc to attempt to extinguish the blaze before the explosion even occurred. They also played a role after the blast, with fire companies arriving to assist from across Halifax, and by
11600-538: The coast as a category 1 storm in 2010. In 2019, Hurricane Dorian made landfall just south of Halifax as a post-tropical storm with an intensity equivalent to a category 2 hurricane and caused significant damage across Nova Scotia. In 2021 Hurricane Ida hit the region with minor damage. In 2022, Hurricane Fiona hit as a category 2 storm, although damage was relatively minor in Halifax, with downed trees and widespread power outages for days. Atlantic sea surface temperatures have risen in recent years, making Halifax and
11745-418: The coast of Nova Scotia somewhat more susceptible to hurricanes than the area had been in the past. The highest temperature ever recorded in Halifax was 37.2 °C (99.0 °F) on July 10, 1912, and the lowest temperature recorded was −29.4 °C (−20.9 °F) on February 18, 1922. The March 2012 North American heat wave brought unusually high temperatures to the municipality of Halifax. On March 22,
11890-411: The community of Richmond, were obliterated. A pressure wave snapped trees, bent iron rails, demolished buildings, grounded vessels (including Imo , which was washed ashore by the ensuing tsunami ), and scattered fragments of Mont-Blanc for kilometres. Across the harbour, in Dartmouth, there was also widespread damage. A tsunami created by the blast wiped out a community of Mi'kmaq who had lived in
12035-517: The current communities have developed de facto business districts where residents of their respective communities (and their respective environs) can access products and services without travelling long distances (e.g. to Downtown Dartmouth or to Downtown Halifax ). Currently, the municipality is divided into 21 community planning areas which are further divided into neighbourhoods. The regional municipality has taken steps to reduce duplicate street names for its 9-1-1 emergency dispatch services; at
12180-522: The disaster. The initial judicial inquiry found Mont-Blanc to have been responsible for the disaster, but a later appeal determined that both vessels were to blame. The North End of Halifax has several memorials to the victims of the explosion. Dartmouth lies on the east shore of Halifax Harbour , and Halifax is on the west shore. By 1917, "Halifax's inner harbour had become a principal assembly point for merchant convoys leaving for Britain and France." Halifax and Dartmouth had thrived during times of war;
12325-400: The end of the day from as far away as Amherst, Nova Scotia , (200 kilometres or 120 miles) and Moncton, New Brunswick , (260 kilometres or 160 miles) on relief trains. Halifax Fire Department 's West Street Station 2 was the first to arrive at Pier 6 with the crew of Patricia , the first motorized fire engine in Canada. In the final moments before the explosion, hoses were being unrolled as
12470-455: The entirety of the County of Halifax and all of its places (cities, suburbs, towns, and villages) were turned into communities of a larger single-tier municipality called Halifax Regional Municipality. As of 2021, the total surface area of the municipality is 5,475.57 km (2,114.13 sq mi). The Halifax Regional Municipality occupies an area comparable in size to the total land area of
12615-514: The entrance to The Narrows. The vast majority of the western shore to the head of the basin is fronted by rail lines, behind which are a mix of residential/commercial and institutional developments. Though inhabited by the Mi'kmaq and the French having known of the site since the 17th century, the basin was named for John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford , who was the British Secretary of State for
12760-406: The evacuation, and naval rescue parties continued working uninterrupted at the harbour. Surviving railway workers in the railyards at the heart of the disaster carried out rescue work, pulling people from the harbour and from under debris. The overnight train from Saint John was just approaching the city when hit by the blast but was only slightly damaged. It continued into Richmond until the track
12905-474: The explosion, it was reported to the military police that he had been behaving suspiciously. Johansen was arrested on suspicions of being a German spy when a search turned up a letter on his person, supposedly written in German. It turned out that the letter was actually written in Norwegian. Immediately following the explosion, most of the German survivors in Halifax had been rounded up and imprisoned. Eventually
13050-429: The explosion. Families recorded the deaths of five residents. A combination of persistent racism and a growing conviction that Africville should be demolished to make way for industrial development resulted in the people of Africville receiving no police or fire protection; they had to make do without water mains and sewer lines, despite paying city taxes. Africville received little of the donated relief funds and none of
13195-613: The explosion. By late January 1918, around 5,000 were still without shelter. A reconstruction committee under Colonel Robert Low constructed 832 new housing units, which were furnished by the Massachusetts-Halifax Relief Fund. Partial train service resumed from a temporary rail terminal in the city's South End on 7 December. Full service resumed on 9 December when tracks were cleared and the North Street Station reopened. The Canadian Government Railways created
13340-568: The fear dissipated as the real cause of the explosion became known, although rumours of German involvement persisted. A judicial inquiry known as the Wreck Commissioner's Inquiry was formed to investigate the causes of the collision. Proceedings began at the Halifax Court House on 13 December 1917, presided over by Justice Arthur Drysdale . The inquiry's report of 4 February 1918 blamed Mont-Blanc ' s captain , Aimé Le Médec,
13485-557: The fire spread to the docks. Nine members of the Halifax Fire Department lost their lives performing their duty that day. Royal Navy cruisers in port sent some of the first organized rescue parties ashore. HMS Highflyer , along with the armed merchant cruisers HMS Changuinola , HMS Knight Templar and HMS Calgarian , sent boats ashore with rescue parties and medical personnel and soon began to take wounded aboard. A US Coast Guard cutter, USRC Morrill , also sent
13630-438: The former cities of Dartmouth and Halifax have maintained their original geographic names. Furthermore, communities that were suburban , or even rural before 1996, now have become more urban and have attained community status (e.g. Cole Harbour , Lower Sackville , Spryfield , et cetera). These community names are used on survey and mapping documents, for 9-1-1 service, municipal planning, and postal service. Before
13775-472: The free alternative arts weekly The Coast . Halifax has several online daily newspapers . allNovaScotia is a daily, subscriber-only outlet which focuses on business and political news from across the province. CityNews Halifax , associated with the CJNI-FM radio station, was created from a merger of the former News 95.7 and HalifaxToday (previously Local Xpress ) news websites. The Halifax Examiner
13920-543: The frost-free period is 182 days, ranging from May 1 to October 31. As of the 2021 Canadian Census , the Halifax Census Metropolitan Area ( Metropolitan Halifax ) is coterminous with the Municipality of Halifax and the Municipality of East Hants . The total land area of Metropolitan Halifax is 727,622 hectares (7,276.22 square kilometres; 2,809.36 square miles) The metropolitan area grew between
14065-528: The harbour fell under the control of the Royal Canadian Navy; by 1917 there was a growing naval fleet in Halifax, including patrol ships , tugboats , and minesweepers . The population of Halifax/Dartmouth had increased to between 60,000 and 65,000 people by 1917. Convoys carried men, animals, and supplies to the European theatre of war . The two main points of departure were in Nova Scotia at Sydney , on Cape Breton Island , and Halifax. Hospital ships brought
14210-770: The harbour was one of the British Royal Navy 's most important bases in North America, a centre for wartime trade, and a home to privateers who harried the British Empire's enemies during the American Revolution , the Napoleonic Wars , and the War of 1812 . The completion of the Intercolonial Railway and its Deep Water Terminal in 1880 allowed for increased steamship trade and led to accelerated development of
14355-584: The high-water mark on the Halifax side of the harbour. Imo was carried onto the shore at Dartmouth by the tsunami. The blast killed all but one on the whaler, everyone on the pinnace and 21 of the 26 men on Stella Maris ; she ended up on the Dartmouth shore, severely damaged. The captain's son, First Mate Walter Brannen, who had been thrown into the hold by the blast, survived, as did four others. All but one of Mont-Blanc' s crew members survived. Over 1,600 people were killed instantly and 9,000 were injured, more than 300 of whom later died. Every building within
14500-583: The majority of the western shore. Africville Park is situated on the southern shore near the entrance into The Narrows. The lands surrounding the basin are heavily developed with the only significant greenspace remaining being along the northeastern shore of the basin where a significant blast buffer zone surrounds Canadian Forces Ammunition Depot Bedford (CFAD Bedford); this is the Royal Canadian Navy 's weapons depot for its Atlantic fleet, known as Maritime Forces Atlantic (MARLANT). The south shore of
14645-519: The majority of those residents commuting to and working in the urban core. Farther away, rural communities in the municipality function like any resource-based area in Nova Scotia, being sparsely populated and their local economies based on four major resource industries: agriculture , in the Musquodoboit Valley, fishing , along the coast, mining , in the Musquodoboit Valley and in Moose River Gold Mines and forestry , in most areas outside
14790-541: The mercury climbed to 28.2 °C (82.8 °F) at the Halifax Windsor Park weather station, and 27.2 °C (81.0 °F) at Halifax Stanfield International Airport . In spite of the possibility of high temperatures, in a normal year there are only three days that go above 30 °C (86 °F). Halifax also has a modest frost count by Canadian standards due to the maritime influence, averaging 131 air frosts and 49 full days below freezing annually. On average
14935-685: The modern-day Regional Municipality. St. Margaret's Bay was first settled by French-speaking Foreign Protestants at French Village, Nova Scotia who migrated from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia during the American Revolution. December 6, 1917 saw one of the great disasters in Canadian history, when the SS ; Mont-Blanc , a French cargo ship carrying munitions, collided with the Belgian Relief vessel SS Imo in "The Narrows" between upper Halifax Harbour and Bedford Basin. The resulting explosion,
15080-523: The morning of 6 December 1917, the French cargo ship SS Mont-Blanc collided with the Norwegian vessel SS Imo in the harbour of Halifax, Nova Scotia , Canada. Mont-Blanc , laden with high explosives , caught fire and exploded, devastating the Richmond district of Halifax. At least 1,782 people were killed, largely in Halifax and Dartmouth , by the blast, debris, fires, or collapsed buildings, and an estimated 9,000 others were injured. The blast
15225-402: The municipal land area. The area surrounds Halifax Harbour and its main centres are Bedford , Dartmouth , and Halifax (and their respective environs). Between the 2016 Canadian Census and the 2021 Canadian Census , the built-up area of Halifax grew by 357 hectares (3.57 km ) from 23,472 hectares (234.72 km ) in 2016 to 23,829 hectares (238.29 km ) in 2021 . Halifax
15370-422: The municipality. CBC Radio has a major regional studio and there are also regional hubs for Rogers Radio and various private broadcast franchises, as well as a regional bureau for The Canadian Press / Broadcast News . Halifax's print media is centred on its single daily newspaper, the broadsheet Chronicle Herald as well as two free newspapers, the daily commuter-oriented edition of Metro International and
15515-413: The municipality. Most coastal communities are based on the fishing industry. Forestry is active in this area as well. It is also prevalent in the Musquodoboit Valley, but it takes a backseat to the more prominent agricultural industry. At 23,829 hectares (238.29 square kilometres; 92.00 square miles), Halifax's urban area (defined as population centre by Statistics Canada) is less than five percent of
15660-449: The northern boundary of the municipality usually being between 50 and 60 km (31 and 37 mi) inland. The coast is mostly rock with small isolated sand beaches in sheltered bays. The largest coastal features include St. Margarets Bay , Halifax Harbour / Bedford Basin , Cole Harbour , Musquodoboit Harbour , Jeddore Harbour, Ship Harbour, Sheet Harbour, and Ecum Secum Harbour. The municipality's topography spans from lush farmland in
15805-479: The only month with a high that is slightly below freezing at −0.1 °C (31.8 °F), while August is the warmest. The sea heavily influences the climate of the area, causing significant seasonal lag in summer, with August being significantly warmer than June and with September being the third mildest month in terms of mean temperature. Precipitation is high year-round. Winter features a mix of rain, freezing rain and snow with frequent freeze-thaw cycles. Snowfall
15950-405: The other vessels that their ship was about to explode, but they could not be heard above the noise and confusion. As the lifeboats made their way across the harbour to the Dartmouth shore, the abandoned ship continued to drift and beached herself at Pier 6 near the foot of Richmond street. Towing two scows at the time of the collision, Stella Maris responded immediately to the fire, anchoring
16095-581: The people of Halifax by Sir Sandford Fleming . It houses the Dingle Tower, dedicated in 1912 by the Duke of Connaught to commemorate 150 years of representative government in Nova Scotia. The Mainland Common, in Clayton Park , is a modern park home to various sports and community facilities. Long Lake Provincial Park , comprising more than 2,000 hectares, was designated in 1984 and affords Halifax residents access to
16240-458: The people who quickly came to their aid." Once finished, the Hydrostone neighbourhood consisted of homes, businesses, and parks, which helped create a new sense of community in the North End of Halifax. It has now become an upscale neighbourhood and shopping district. In contrast, the equally poor and underdeveloped area of Africville was not included in reconstruction efforts. Every building in
16385-483: The port area, but Halifax faced an economic downturn in the 1890s as local factories struggled to compete with businesses in central Canada. The British garrison left the city in late 1905 and early 1906. The Canadian government took over the Halifax Dockyard (now CFB Halifax ) from the Royal Navy. This dockyard later became the command centre of the Royal Canadian Navy upon its founding in 1910. Just before
16530-577: The port would not be operational for months, but a convoy departed on 11 December and dockyard operations resumed before Christmas. The Halifax Explosion was one of the largest artificial non-nuclear explosions . An extensive comparison of 130 major explosions by Halifax historian Jay White in 1994 concluded that it "remains unchallenged in overall magnitude as long as five criteria are considered together: number of casualties, force of blast, radius of devastation, quantity of explosive material, and total value of property destroyed." For many years afterward,
16675-438: The progressive reconstruction invested in other parts of the city after the explosion. Many people in Halifax first thought the explosion to be the result of a German attack. The Halifax Herald continued to propagate this belief for some time, reporting, for example, that Germans had mocked victims of the explosion. While John Johansen, the Norwegian helmsman of Imo , was being treated for serious injuries sustained during
16820-592: The province of Prince Edward Island , and measures approximately 165 km (103 mi) in length between its eastern and westernmost extremities, excluding Sable Island . The nearest point of land to Sable Island is not in HRM, but rather in adjacent Guysborough County . However, Sable Island is considered part of District 7 of the Halifax Regional Council. The coastline is heavily indented, accounting for its length of approximately 400 km (250 mi), with
16965-536: The reconstruction of Richmond as an opportunity to improve and modernize the city's North End. English town planner Thomas Adams and Montreal architectural firm Ross and Macdonald were recruited to design a new housing plan for Richmond. Adams, inspired by the Victorian garden city movement , aimed to provide public access to green spaces and to create a low-rise, low-density, and multifunctional urban neighbourhood. The planners designed 326 large homes that each faced
17110-511: The region's national-quality sports and entertainment facilities. Halifax is also the home to many of the region's major cultural attractions, such as Halifax Pop Explosion , Symphony Nova Scotia , the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia , The Khyber , the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and the Neptune Theatre. The region is noted for the strength of its music scene and nightlife, especially within
17255-515: The relief effort by carrying messages from site to site. Community facilities like the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) were rapidly converted to emergency hospital facilities with medical students providing care. Rescue trains were dispatched from across Atlantic Canada, as well as the northeastern United States. The first left Truro around 10 am carrying medical personnel and supplies, arrived in Halifax by noon and returned to Truro with
17400-448: The school to serve as a morgue and classrooms to serve as offices for the Halifax coroner. Trucks and wagons soon began to arrive with bodies. Arthur S. Barnstead took over from Coldwell as the morgue went into operation and implemented a system based on the one his father, John Henry Barnstead , developed to catalogue the dead in the aftermath of the Titanic disaster of 1912. Many of
17545-459: The ship's pilot , Francis Mackey, and Commander F. Evan Wyatt, the Royal Canadian Navy's chief examining officer in charge of the harbour, gates and anti-submarine defences, for causing the collision. Drysdale agreed with Dominion Wreck Commissioner L. A. Demers' opinion that "it was the Mont-Blanc ' s responsibility alone to ensure that she avoided a collision at all costs" given her cargo; he
17690-482: The size of the Port of Halifax , and its vicinity to Europe in contrast to other North American ports, the basin was used as an assembly point for transatlantic convoys bound for Europe. With defences built just outside of the only access point into the basin (a strait called The Narrows), it provided a safe place to assemble convoys consisting of hundreds of merchant ships and their escorts in relative security, while torpedo nets kept submarines at bay. In December 1917
17835-425: The time of amalgamation, some street names were duplicated several times throughout the municipality. Current planning areas: Halifax is centred on the urban core and surrounded by areas of decreasing population density. Rural areas lie to the east, west and north of the urban core. The Atlantic Ocean lies to the south. Certain rural communities on the urban fringe function as suburban or exurban areas, with
17980-407: The town of Sackville , and the cities of Moncton and Saint John. Relief efforts were hampered the following day by a blizzard that blanketed Halifax with 16 inches (41 cm) of heavy snow. Trains en route from other parts of Canada and from the United States were stalled in snowdrifts, and telegraph lines that had been hastily repaired following the explosion were again knocked down. Halifax
18125-804: The tragic loss of life amongst merchant seamen. The Basin was a daily witness to the grim war at sea. Stricken vessels limped back to port and seamen fold their stories of battle and the hazards of the North Atlantic convoy routes. Today, CFB Halifax is located on the channel at the entrance to Bedford Basin and is the home of Canada's Atlantic fleet."- Bedford Basin Memorial in Alberta [REDACTED] Media related to Bedford Basin at Wikimedia Commons 44°42′N 63°38′W / 44.700°N 63.633°W / 44.700; -63.633 ( Bedford Bay ) Halifax Regional Municipality Halifax
18270-619: The urban communities; see List of musical groups from Halifax, Nova Scotia for a partial list. Halifax hosts a wide variety of festivals that take place throughout the year, including; the largest Canada Day celebration east of Ottawa, the Atlantic Film Festival , the Halifax International Busker Festival, Greekfest, Atlantic Jazz Festival, the Multicultural Festival, Natal Day , Nocturne Festival ,
18415-456: The urban core. Also, the tourism industry is beginning to change how some rural communities in Halifax function, particularly in communities such as Hubbards , Peggys Cove , with its notable lighthouse and Lawrencetown , with Lawrencetown Beach. There are two other large beaches along the coast, Martinique Beach, near Musquodoboit Harbour and Taylor Head Beach , located in Spry Bay , within
18560-528: The wounded and homeless by 3 pm. The track had become impassable after Rockingham, on the western edge of Bedford Basin. To reach the wounded, rescue personnel had to walk through parts of the devastated city until they reached a point where the military had begun to clear the streets. By nightfall, a dozen trains had reached Halifax from the Nova Scotian towns of Truro, Kentville , Amherst, Stellarton , Pictou , and Sydney and from New Brunswick, including
18705-538: The wounded to the city, so a new military hospital was constructed. The success of German U-boat attacks on ships crossing the Atlantic Ocean led the Allies to institute a convoy system to reduce losses while transporting goods and soldiers to Europe. Merchant ships gathered at Bedford Basin on the northwestern end of the harbour, which was protected by two sets of anti-submarine nets and guarded by patrol ships of
18850-509: The wounds inflicted by the blast were permanently debilitating, such as those caused by flying glass or by the flash of the explosion. Thousands of people had stopped to watch the ship burning in the harbour, many from inside buildings, leaving them directly in the path of glass fragments from shattered windows. Roughly 5,900 eye injuries were reported, and 41 people lost their sight permanently. An estimated CA$ 35 million in damage resulted (CA$ 696 million today). About $ 30 million in financial aid
18995-402: The years and months preceding the explosion, the Department of Indian Affairs had been actively trying to force the Mi'kmaq to give up their land and move to a reserve, but this had not occurred by the time of the explosion. Turtle Grove was close to the centre of the blast and the physical structures of the settlement were obliterated by the explosion and tsunami. A precise Mi'kmaq death toll
19140-469: Was again met with a double-blast. Sailors on nearby ships heard the series of signals and, realizing that a collision was imminent, gathered to watch as Imo bore down on Mont-Blanc . Both ships had cut their engines by this point, but their momentum carried them towards each other at slow speed. Unable to ground his ship for fear of a shock that would set off his explosive cargo, Mackey ordered Mont-Blanc to steer hard to port (starboard helm) and crossed
19285-875: Was blocked by wreckage. Passengers and soldiers aboard used the emergency tools from the train to dig people out of houses and bandaged them with sheets from the sleeping cars. The train was loaded with injured and left the city at 1:30 with a doctor aboard, to evacuate the wounded to Truro . Led by Lieutenant Governor MacCallum Grant , leading citizens formed the Halifax Relief Commission at around noon. The committee organized members in charge of organizing medical relief for both Halifax and Dartmouth, supplying transportation, food and shelter, and covering medical and funeral costs for victims. The commission would continue until 1976, participating in reconstruction and relief efforts and later distributing pensions to survivors. Men and women turned out to serve as everything from hospital aides to shelter staff, while children contributed to
19430-418: Was felt as far away as Cape Breton (207 kilometres or 129 miles) and Prince Edward Island (180 kilometres or 110 miles). An area of over 1.6 square kilometres (400 acres) was completely destroyed by the explosion, and the harbour floor was momentarily exposed by the volume of water that was displaced. A tsunami was formed by water surging in to fill the void; it rose as high as 18 metres (60 ft) above
19575-617: Was founded by the former news editor of The Coast in 2014 and, like allNovaScotia , is supported through subscriptions. From 1974 to 2008, Halifax had a second daily newspaper, the tabloid The Daily News , which still publishes several neighbourhood weekly papers such as The Bedford-Sackville Weekly News , The Halifax West-Clayton Park Weekly News and the Dartmouth-Cole Harbour Weekly News . These weekly papers compete with The Chronicle-Herald' s weekly Community Heralds HRM West , HRM East , and HRM North . Halifax
19720-474: Was isolated by the storm, and while rescue committees were forced to suspend the search for survivors, the storm also aided efforts to put out fires throughout the city. The exact number killed by the disaster is unknown. The Halifax Explosion Remembrance Book, an official database of the Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management , identified 1,782 victims. As many as 1,600 people died immediately in
19865-436: Was killed at his post. First rescue efforts came from surviving neighbours and co-workers who pulled and dug out victims from buildings. The initial informal response was soon joined by surviving policemen, firefighters and military personnel who began to arrive, as did anyone with a working vehicle; cars, trucks and delivery wagons of all kinds were enlisted to collect the wounded. A flood of victims soon began to arrive at
20010-459: Was likely influenced by local opinion, which was strongly anti-French, as well as by the "street fighter" style of argumentation used by Imo lawyer Charles Burchell. According to Crown counsel W. A. Henry, this was "a great surprise to most people", who had expected the Imo to be blamed for being on the wrong side of the channel. All three men were charged with manslaughter and criminal negligence at
20155-422: Was not completed until after the anti-submarine nets had been raised for the night. Therefore, the vessel could not depart until the next morning. The French cargo ship SS Mont-Blanc arrived from New York late on 5 December, under the command of Aimé Le Medec. The vessel was fully loaded with the explosives TNT and picric acid , the highly flammable fuel benzol and guncotton . She intended to join
20300-535: Was raised from various sources, including $ 18 million from the federal government, over $ 4 million from the British government, and $ 750,000 from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts . Dartmouth was not as densely populated as Halifax and was separated from the blast by the width of the harbour, but still suffered heavy damage. Almost 100 people were estimated to have died on the Dartmouth side. Windows were shattered and many buildings were damaged or destroyed, including
20445-521: Was responsible for bringing all incoming trains around Halifax to a halt. It was heard by other stations all along the Intercolonial Railway, helping railway officials to respond immediately. Passenger Train No. 10, the overnight train from Saint John, is believed to have heeded the warning and stopped a safe distance from the blast at Rockingham , saving the lives of about 300 railway passengers. Coleman
20590-415: Was the largest human-made explosion at the time. It released the equivalent energy of roughly 2.9 kilotons of TNT (12 TJ ). Mont-Blanc was under orders from the French government to carry her cargo from New York City via Halifax to Bordeaux , France. At roughly 8:45 am, she collided at low speed, approximately one knot (1.2 mph or 1.9 km/h), with the unladen Imo , chartered by
20735-523: Was the second ship to enter the harbour as the anti-submarine net between Georges Island and Pier 21 opened for the morning. Mont-Blanc headed towards Bedford Basin on the Dartmouth side of the harbour. Mackey kept his eye on the ferry traffic between Halifax and Dartmouth and other small boats in the area. He first spotted Imo when she was about 1.21 kilometres (0.75 mi) away and became concerned as her path appeared to be heading towards his ship's starboard side, as if to cut him off. Mackey gave
20880-406: Was thrown away from the explosion and had his clothes torn from his body, described the devastation survivors faced: "The sight was awful, with people hanging out of windows dead. Some with their heads missing, and some thrown onto the overhead telegraph wires." He was the only member of the eight-man crew of the fire engine Patricia to survive. Large brick and stone factories near Pier 6, such as
21025-533: Was travelling up the harbour to Bedford Basin near mid-channel. Horatio Brannen, the captain of Stella Maris , saw Imo approaching at excessive speed and ordered his ship closer to the western shore to avoid an accident. Francis Mackey, an experienced harbour pilot, had boarded Mont-Blanc on the evening of 5 December 1917; he had asked about "special protections" such as a guard ship, given Mont-Blanc ' s cargo, but no protections were put in place. Mont-Blanc started moving at 7:30 am on 6 December and
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