The Halifax Explosion was the largest man-made explosion to occur before the dropping of the atomic bombs during the Second World War.
On 6 December 1917, the Mont Blanc, a French vessel loaded with 2.9 kilotons of explosives, collided with the Belgian relief ship, Imo, in Halifax harbour. A fire broke out on the Mont Blanc which local firefighters tried unsuccessfully to extinguish. When the flames reached the Mont Blanc‘s volatile cargo, the resulting explosion devastated a large part of the city. The Richmond district in the city’s north end and the Dartmouth region across the harbour were all but wiped out.
The official death toll was 1,963, with another 9,000 injured and 6,000 left homeless.
Military and naval personnel worked with civilians in the relief effort. Nearby cities like Truro took in the homeless. Eaton stores donated furniture. The Canadian and British governments donated millions for reconstruction, while the United States organized a relief train filled with supplies, doctors, and nurses, some of whom were on the scene and working before shocked Canadian officials had fully recovered. More than 90 years later, the province of Nova Scotia each year still sends a Christmas tree to the city of Boston, Massachusetts as a token of friendship for the aid Bostonians rendered in December 1917.
In the aftermath of the explosion, Halifax residents buried their dead, cared for the wounded, and began to rebuild their city. Despite the absolute destruction and the magnitude of relief operations, transatlantic naval convoys had resumed within a week. (Information from Canada War Museum website )
This cache is pick your own adventure. I chose 6 of the major sites, there are many more, and listed them as waypoints. Pick one, some or all (best of all) go to the location learn a little and take a picture at the site with something personal in the shot and post it in your log. Thanks for learning a bit about my city and happy caching.
WP 1 - Memorial Bell Tower – 5515 Stairs Place - The bell tower in Fort Needham Park overlooks the area where the Halifax Explosion occurred. The monument honours those who died and were injured, and serves as a tribute to those who helped rebuild the city.
WP 2 - Halifax City Hall – 1841 Argyle Street The clock on the north side is permanently set to 9:04 AM—the exact time the Halifax Explosion. This clock can be viewed from Duke Street.
WP 3 - Saint Paul’s Church Window – 1749 Argyle Street - One unlucky deacon is said to have met his untimely end during the Halifax Explosion. According to legend, the unknown deacon was standing in front on a window when the explosion occurred, and the heat was so intense that it seared his profile into the windowpane. This profile is still visible today, It is visible on the west side of the building.
WP 4 - Firefighter Memorial - 5830 Lady Hammond Dr. - The memorial honours the nine men on the truck Patricia that were killed during the explosion.
WP 5 - The Mont-Blanc Cannon Site – 171 Albro Lake Road - The blst sent the 1,200-pound cannon from the Mont-Blanc’s stern two miles over the harbour to to rest at this site where it is on display now.
WP 6 - The Mont-Blanc Anchor Site – 69 Anchor Drive - Like the cannon the 1,140-pound anchor was sent over two and a half miles in the opposite direction, landing on the Edmonds Ground Estate near the head of the Northwest Arm. Today, the piece of this anchor remains along with a small memorial that can be found.
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.
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Association of Nova Scotia Geocaching