The Halifax Explosion -A Part of our Heritage

The Memorial Bells of The Halifax Explosion

Today is the anniversary of the great Halifax Explosion. On December 6, 1917 the Canadian city of Halifax, Nova Scotia was hit with the greatest man made explosion to date in history. It was the equivalent of one-fifth of the blast of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. It leveled the entire city of Halifax and left it in ruins.

20 minutes after the explosion

My family roots are from Halifax, and my grandfather was alive as a small boy when this explosion happened. I remember hearing the story of it for the first time and asking him questions about what he remembered about the explosion and the aftermath. I was really surprised to hear how much he remembered considering that he was only a young boy. I imagine that an event with such magnitude like that could never leave your mind, even at a young age.

What really amazes me at things like this is the amount of effort that the people in that area endured to rebuild. The city was literally flattened, and not only did it have to be rebuilt, but you had to tear everything down in order to rebuild it. And yet looking at the city of Halifax today, you would never think that something like this happened. The city was rebuilt as if nothing happened. Only small reminders of some evidence of the blast remain to this day, yet you have to know where to look for it.

If you can make the time today, click on the Internet about the explosion that happened in Halifax today almost a century ago, and find out what our heritage says about our people.