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Residents are invited to attend the centenary of the Halifax Explosion at the memorial service on Wednesday, Dec. 6, to reflect on the tragic event that occurred 100 years ago and the immense relief effort that was undertaken during its aftermath.
An official ceremony will be held from 8:45 a.m. to 9:35 a.m. at Fort Needham Memorial Park in Halifax, to honour those who lost their lives and those who survived as a result of the Halifax Explosion on Dec. 6, 1917. National and local broadcasters will be live streaming the ceremony online.
The devastating explosion occurred when two ships – the French munitions ship, the Mont-Blanc, and the Norwegian relief ship, the Imo – collided in the Narrows of Halifax Harbour. Over 2,000 people were killed and an additional 9,000 were injured as a result of the explosion, which was known at the time as the deadliest man-made explosion in history. More than 1,500 buildings were destroyed and 12,000 damaged. Twenty-five thousand people were made homeless or lacked proper shelter, as most of north-end Halifax was destroyed and the rest of Halifax and Dartmouth suffered significant damages.
Designated as a national historic event in 2016, the Halifax Explosion had profound and long-lasting consequences locally and nationally. As part of the ceremony, a Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada plaque will be unveiled to commemorate the national historic significance of the Halifax Explosion. The commemorative plaque will be permanently installed at Fort Needham Memorial Park.
Wednesday’s service will also include official remarks by The Honourable Stephen McNeil, Premier of Nova Scotia, Mayor Savage and District 8 Councillor Lindell Smith, the observation of the moment of silence at 9:04 a.m., the Recognition of Survivors by Jim Coleman, Grandson of Vince Coleman and the laying of official and community memorial wreaths. Special guests include representatives from the Government of Canada, The Honourable Arthur J. LeBlanc, ONS, QC, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, Rear Admiral Craig Baines, Commander of Joint Task Force Atlantic and Maritime Forces Atlantic and Consul General of the United States of America in Halifax, Mr. Steven S. Giegerich. Music will be provided by the Stadacona Band of the Royal Canadian Navy to commemorate the disaster that affected the entire community.
The municipality has commissioned an original poem of commemoration by the Parliamentary Poet Laureate George Elliott Clarke, who will recite excerpts of his work Achieving Disaster, Dreaming Resurrection: Witnessing The Halifax Explosion, 6 December 1917, and After.
100th Anniversary Books of Remembrance will be available for the public to sign at the following locations throughout the day:
- From 9:45 a.m. to 11 a.m. at St. Joseph’s-Alexander McKay Elementary School.
- From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Alderney Gate Library, Dartmouth.
- From noon to 4:30 p.m. at Halifax City Hall.
- From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Halifax Central Library.
Other events taking place on Wednesday to commemorate the 100th anniversary include:
- 9:04 a.m. – The firing of the Halifax Citadel cannon followed by the sounding of the tower bell for one minute at Halifax City Hall, in unison with many others across the Halifax Peninsula, including: church bells; ferry horns; naval and merchant ship sirens; and, the harbour pilot boat horns.
- 9:45 a.m. to 11 a.m. - A public reception following the Memorial Service, St. Joseph’s-Alexander McKay Elementary School, 5389 Russell Street, Halifax.
- 10:30 a.m. - Halifax Regional Fire Services Memorial Event, Fire Station 4, 5830 Lady Hammond Road
- 11:30 a.m. - A service of remembrance will take place at Pinehill Park. The park is located at the intersection of Albro Lake Road and Pinecrest Drive.
- Noon to 4 p.m. - The Municipal Archives will exhibit contents from both the 1985 and 2017 Halifax Explosion Memorial Time Capsules, as well as other artifacts including one related to the aftermath of the explosion in Halifax Hall in City Hall.
Please note: The Needham Street entrance to Fort Needham Memorial Park will be equipped with a ramp on Dec. 6, to accommodate those with accessibility requirements. A designated viewing section will also be reserved.