Memorial service marks 105 years since the Halifax Explosion

Tuesday marks 105 years since the Halifax Explosion devastated Nova Scotia’s capital city.

On Dec. 6, 1917, French munitions ship SS Mont-Blanc and Norwegian relief ship SS Imo collided in the narrows of Halifax Harbour.

The collision caused a fire, which resulted in the world's largest human-made blast, until an atomic bomb was detonated in 1945.

Nearly 2,000 people were killed and another 9,000 were injured.

The tragedy was marked with a memorial service Friday morning at Fort Needham Memorial Park in Halifax's north end -- a community devastated by the explosion.

More than 100 people attended the event, hosted by the City of Halifax to honour those who died and the “resiliency, recovery and rebirth” of the community.

The event was the first memorial held since without restrictions since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Members of the RCMP, Halifax Regional Police and Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency laid wreaths by the park’s bell tower.

Members of the RCMP, Halifax Regional Police and Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency laid wreaths to mark 105 years since the Halifax Explosion on Dec. 6, 2022. (Carl Pomeroy/CTV Atlantic)

“We rebuilt and eventually moved ahead, but we never forget the fateful day in our history,” Halifax Mayor Mike Savage tweeted Tuesday morning.

Last week, Nova Scotia’s 51st “Tree for Boston” was lit up during a ceremony at the Boston Common.

This year’s tree -- a 45-foot white spruce -- came from Christmas Island, N.S.

It is the latest iteration of a long-standing “thank you” to the city after Boston officials sent medical aid, relief supplies, and personnel to Halifax following the explosion.