Memorial marks 106 years since Halifax Explosion

CITYnews halifax / By Madison Irvine

The Halifax Explosion struck the city 106 years ago Wednesday and a large crowd gathered at the annual ceremony at Fort Needham Memorial Park.

Some 2,000 people were killed in the explosion, the result of a collision of two ships in the Halifax harbour. The explosion happened just after 9 a.m. on Dec. 6, 1917.

Gerry White, a retired RCMP naval officer, said “everybody lost their homes, their heat, their sight. They lost their families, they lost their children, children lost their moms and dads, everything was lost.”

But through that loss came hope for the city, White said.

“In typical Maritime fashion, everyone set to work and help each other out. And that’s what this (ceremony) means to me.”

Lots of descendants came as well, including Marilyn Davidson-Elliot, whose father lost his eyesight in the explosion. She says its important for everyone to come out and keep everyone educated on this piece of Atlantic Canadian history.

Because of the explosion, stricter laws regarding harbour control and cargo identification have been in place to protect the city from having this happen again.