The story and scope of the disaster and its aftermath is revealed in fiction and nonfiction narratives for both adults and children in these selections from the collection of the cape breton regional library. Dec 04, 2017 watch cnib and halifax explosion video online, on globalnews. In response to rising blindness rates caused by the halifax explosion and veterans returning home from. The halifax explosion devastated the north end of the city, killing nearly 2,000 and injuring 9,000.
How the largest massblinding in canadian history birthed cnib. A fire on board the french ship ignited her cargo, causing a massive explosion that. Corpses, many dismembered or burned beyond recognition, were scattered everywhere. Was the explosion a disaster triggered by simple human error. The 18 people present were an eclectic mix of um alumni, ranging from mechanical engineers, real estate attorneys, and patent attorneys, to economists and.
The halifax explosion of 1917 has been virtually forgotten, at least until this excellent book. Excerpt from the great halifax explosion book details collision of 2 ships and the explosion that altered a city, residents and relations between canada and u. Halifax explosion book of remembrance maritime museum of. The halifax explosion of 6 december 1917, the biggest humanmade blast before the atomic bomb, holds a poignant place in my family history. Hundreds of firefighters, politicians and community members braved the. Dan soucoups book, explosion in halifax harbour 1917 nimbus begins with a history of halifax.
The halifax explosion july 4, 2011 admin the morning of december 6, 1917 began as most mornings in the city of halifax, nova scotiawives kissed their husbands goodbye, mothers sent their children off to school, and the harbourfront, which served as a major hub during wwi was bustling with activity, both mercantile and military. There is a halifax explosion book of remembrance on display at the maritime museum of the atlantic. Every two weeks a page is turned, ensuring that each name is displayed once throughout the year. The 1917 halifax explosion is wellknown as the biggest. That accident sparked a fire and an apocalyptic explosion that was the largest manmade blast prior to the 1945 dropping of the atomic bomb on hiroshima. Dec 01, 2017 the halifax explosion was the largest manmade explosion prior to the atomic bomb. How the halifax explosion led to the creation of the cnib ctv atlantic published monday, november 6, 2017 2. The halifax explosion remembrance book is the first really definitive listing for those killed in the disaster of 6 december 1917. Halifaxs harbor after the explosion in december 1917.
Kitz 4 times halifax explosion by graham metson 3 times too many to mourn by james mahar 3 times burden of desire harvest book by robert macneil 3 times miracles and mysteries. Cnib library introduces talking books on cassettes. The calamity occurred when the french ship montblanc, loaded with high explosives, collided with the norwegian vessel imo at the entrance to the narrows in. On the 100th anniversary of the halifax explosion, two new. Africville, campbell road, halifax, nova scotia 45 19171206. Watch cnib and halifax explosion video online, on globalnews. This chapter book is set in the months before and after the explosion. The halifax explosion of 1917 canada history and mysteries. Dec 18, 20 images from the halifax explosion that happened back in 1917. The halifax explosion remembrance book, an official database compiled in 2002 by the nova scotia. Century after halifaxs great explosion, city marks. Winner of the 2019 the robbie robertson dartmouth book award nonfiction.
The blast released an explosive force equal to about 2. How the halifax explosion led to the creation of the cnib. Several primary enucleation cases described by the halifax explosion oculists met these modern criteria table 1 1. The author relates the circumstances of the accident that caused the explosion, as well as the recovery efforts and. Halifax explosion books tagged halifax explosion librarything. Institut national canadien pour les aveugles to assist soldiers who had been blinded. Jul 14, 2017 a newly discovered diary tells the harrowing story of the deadly halifax explosion on the eve of the disasters centennial, a sailors 1917 journal details a rare eyewitness account of the. Bacons the great halifax explosion is the seminal account of one of the bloodiest manmade disasters in world history, which killed some 2,000 people. Nov 06, 2017 how the halifax explosion led to the creation of the cnib ctv atlantic published monday, november 6, 2017 2. The book has a fairly large print and many contemporary photos. The 1917 halifax explosion is wellknown as the biggest humanmade explosion in the preatomic era, but it was also the largest massblinding in canadian history and played a crucial role in the founding of the canadian national institute for the blind cnib. Documents filed under the massachusettshalifax relief committee include several reports on the state of public health in halifax, including the need for aid to the blind.
The blast leveled much of the north end of the city and killed about 2,000 people. Founded in 1918 as the canadian national institute for the blind french. The book was presented to the museum in 2002 by the halifax foundation. Thats how the library evolved into the cnib, she says. A goodreads search for halifax explosion returns more than 40 titles. The author relates the circumstances of the accident that caused the explosion, as well as the recovery efforts and subsequent inquiry into the event. Fondation inca is a volunteer agency and charitable organization dedicated to assisting canadians who are blind or living with vision loss, and to provide information about vision health for all canadians. Heres what you need to know about the halifax explosion of 1917. The halifax explosion was the largest manmade explosion prior to the atomic bomb. There will then be an opportunity for any attendees to provide feedback on the script from your perspective as an audience with sight loss.
Assistive technology services include accessible audio book players, video magnifiers, computer screen readers. Halifax fire remembers comrades lost in the explosion. The halifax explosion taught canada important lessons on living with blindness. Heres what you need to know about the halifax explosion of. Ss montblanc, a french cargo ship laden with high explosives, collided with the norwegian vessel ss imo in the narrows, a strait connecting the upper halifax harbour to bedford basin. The halifax explosion was the greatest nonnuclear detonation in history, killing 2,000 people and obliterating homes and businesses over a large swath of the city. Identifying the victims of the halifax explosion from. See more ideas about halifax explosion, halifax, explosion.
Dan soucoups book, explosion in halifax harbour 1917 nimbus begins with. The halifax explosion and the road to recovery by janet f. Score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. If you are unfamiliar with the explosion in halifax, nova scotia in 1917 then this book would be of interest to you. The halifax explosion was a disaster that occurred in halifax, nova scotia, canada, on the. There is a halifax explosion book of remembrance on display at the. This is a riveting, wellwritten and researched world war i book. The cnib didnt start until 1918, but was formed in the forge of the 1917 halifax explosion. The halifax explosion diary of charlotte blackburn by julie lawson.
A world war i story of treachery, tragedy, and extraordinary heroism kindle edition by bacon, john u download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the great halifax explosion. The 1917 halifax explosion was an unfortunate but predictable tragedy, given the sea traffic and munitions cargo, resulting in sudden largescale damage and catastrophic injuries, with 1950 dead. Explore free books, like the victory garden, and more browse now. Dec 06, 2017 a special ceremony was held on wednesday to commemorate the nine firefighters who died during the halifax explosion in 1917. Nov 30, 2017 a centurys worth of historical accounts, novels and documentaries, plus a tv miniseries, have told and retold the story. A centurys worth of historical accounts, novels and documentaries, plus a tv miniseries, have told and retold the story. Nov 07, 2017 the explosion, bacon writes, destroyed 6,000 buildings, rendering 25,000 peoplealmost half the population of halifaxhomeless in oneearsplitting whoosh and killed 1,600 instantly. I as well as the 850 people blinded by the halifax explosion in 1917, the largest mass blinding in canadian history. The halifax explosion claimed thousands of lives, but it also altered the lives of hundreds of others, many of whom lost their sight in the blast. The severity and the overwhelming number of eye injuries sustained during the halifax explosion made it impossible for the 12 oculists to perform lengthy eye.
How the halifax explosion led to the creation of the cnib ctv news. Cnib was founded during ww1 as a means of support primarily because of the halifax explosion when 500 people went blind from looking out their windows watching those two ships burn in the harbour. Images from the halifax explosion that happened back in 1917. A team of 5 actors will perform this 90minute production. Written by his daughter marilyn, this book gives new insights into the story of the 1917 halifax explosion and contains neverbeforeseen documents and photographs. On december 6, 1917, the french munitions ship mont blanc and the norwegian warrelief vessel imo collided in the harbour at halifax, nova scotia. Cnib still changing lives 94 years after halifax explosion, ss mont blanc, ss imo, largest manmade accidental explosion the world had ever seen. Learn about the halifax explosion, the disaster that shaped atlantic canadas. Cnib and halifax explosion watch news videos online. While my maternal grandfather and two of his brothers were fighting in the trenches of europe, their father, my great grandfather, and a brotherinlaw, were working as stevedores on the halifax waterfront. One of many tragic outcomes of the halifax explosion of 1917 was its impact on eyesight. University of michigan alumnus john bacon was present to sign copies of his newest book, the great halifax explosion. Heres what you need to know about the halifax explosion. The halifax explosion and the cnib the canadian encyclopedia.
A world war i story of treachery, tragedy, and extraordinary heroism. The calamity occurred when the french ship montblanc, loaded with high explosives, collided with the norwegian vessel imo at the entrance to the narrows in halifax harbour on december 6. More than 1,500 buildings were destroyed and 12,000 damaged. The book is displayed at the entrance to the museums halifax explosion exhibit halifax wrecked. The online version features a searchable database with detailed information for 1952 casualties more than 300 of whom are newlyconfirmed and identified victims. This nonfiction is an account of a tragedy which occurred in halifax, canada, at the end of the fourth year of the great war. Dec 02, 2017 this is a terrific onestop overview of the devastating human cost that was the halifax explosion. The halifax explosion in books for children no safe harbour. This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising. The explosion, bacon writes, destroyed 6,000 buildings, rendering 25,000 peoplealmost half the population of halifaxhomeless in oneearsplitting whoosh and killed 1,600 instantly. This is a terrific onestop overview of the devastating human cost that was the halifax explosion. Fondation inca is a volunteer agency and charitable. The halifax explosion is a fresh, revealing account that finally answers questions that have lingered for a century.
Cnib nova scotiaprince edward island posts facebook. A special ceremony was held on wednesday to commemorate the nine firefighters who died during the halifax explosion in 1917. A reference copy at the museum is available for the public to consult. There are other books that are much more detailed but this book is certainly a good beginning.
Twentyfive thousand people were made homeless or lacked proper shelter after the explosion a problem made worse by the winter blizzard that struck halifax the next day. Blind was sharing books across canada, as well as teaching people how. Bacon recreates the recklessness that caused the tragedy, the selfless rescue efforts that saved thousands, and the inspiring resilience that rebuilt the town. New books remember the great halifax explosion the star. John henry barnstead, a halifax physician, had been responsible in 1912 for identifying the bodies of titanic victims that had been picked up and brought to the nearest large port, which was halifax. A newly discovered diary tells the harrowing story of the deadly halifax explosion on the eve of the disasters centennial, a sailors 1917 journal details a rare eyewitness account of the. In response to rising blindness rates caused by the halifax explosion and veterans returning home from world war i, cnib is founded and incorporated by a group of seven canadian men several veterans and blind men among them all of whom were members of the board of the canadian free library for the blind founded in 1906. The halifax explosion 1917 nova scotia, canada youtube. There is a reference copy of the book available at the museum for public consultation.
The great halifax explosion meet your next favorite book. We learn more about how the halifax explosion served as a catalyst for the formation of the cnib. The book contains the names, ages, residential address at the time of explosion and burial location of all 1,951 people lost in the explosion. The halifax explosion was a disaster that occurred in halifax, nova scotia, canada, on the morning of 6 december 1917. Fiction about the halifax explosion disaster that occurred in 1917 and killed 2,000 people. In this definitive account, bestselling author john u.
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