Memorial service marks 107 years since the Halifax Explosion

The sound of the Citadel cannon echoed through downtown Halifax at 9:04 a.m. Friday – the exact time a massive explosion shook the city 107 years ago.

The explosion occurred on Dec. 6, 1917, when the SS Mont-Blanc, loaded with combustible elements, collided with the SS Imo and unleashed the most devastating man-made blast until the atomic bomb.

The event has shaped Halifax for more than a century and remains a pivotal moment in Canadian history.

The University of King’s College, city hall, and churches throughout Halifax also rang bells for one minute to honour the 2,000 people who were killed and 9,000 who were injured.

Relatives of survivors still remember the stories that were told about the aftermath of the explosion.

“My uncle Ritchie, his face was so black from the soot of the explosions, he didn’t realize how unrecognizable he looked and he was talking to his family and they didn’t recognize him,” said Patrick Murphy.

North end Halifax and Dartmouth were obliterated as a result of the explosion. The blast was so powerful that over 1,600 homes were destroyed and more than 6,000 people were made homeless in an instant.

No one was ever officially blamed for the explosion.

The annual memorial service was held at 9 a.m. at Fort Needham, home to the Halifax Explosion Memorial Bell Tower. The location overlooks the harbour, where navy ships, ferries, merchant ships, tug and pilot boats sounded sirens and rang bells to mark the tragic moment in Halifax’s history.

A small service was also held on the other side of the harbour at Pinecrest Park in north end Dartmouth.

During the ceremony, wreaths were laid at the foot of the cannon barrel from the Mont Blanc, which remains where it landed during the explosion – more than two kilometres away from the harbour.

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