Halifax Explosion Memorial Bell Tower (Halifax)

 memorial, explosion site, place with historical importance

The memorial on Fort Needham overlooks the area devastated by the Halifax Explosion of December 6, 1917. It commemorates those who were killed or suffered injury, and those who lost homes and family when the munitions ship, Mont Blanc, blew up in Halifax Harbour. It also honours the survivors, who rebuilt the cities of Halifax and Dartmouth in the years that followed.

The Mont Blanc disintegrated in a blinding white flash, creating the biggest man-made explosion before the nuclear age. It was 9:05am. Windows shattered 50 miles away, and the shock wave was even felt in Sydney, Cape Breton, 270 miles to the north-east.

Over 1,900 people were killed immediately; within a year the figure had climbed well over 2,000. Around 9,000 more were injured, many permanently; 325 acres, almost all of north-end Halifax, was destroyed.

www.mikecampbell.net/explosionbell.htm