The Hope and Survival Memorial Quilt: Laurie Swim’s Halifax Explosion
Friday, January 8, 2027 · 9:05 a.m. – 11:05 a.m.
Hosted by Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
GalleryFreeAll Ages#gallery
Mont Blanc loaded with explosives collided with the Norwegian-owned Imo in Halifax Harbour. What followed was the largest man-made explosion at that time in history. There were just under 2,000 people recorded killed and more than 9,000 others were wounded. More than, 1,000 eye cases were reported, some blinded in one or both eyes. The response from the surrounding community and across the world was astounding; especially from the Boston medical community that organized a trainload of medically trained personnel to arrive in Halifax shortly after the disaster. Halifax, in thanks and commemoration, to this day sends a Christmas tree to Boston annually. The explosion still resonates with Nova Scotians. Everyone knows a story. I have been told by people if their parents or grandparents had been in the wrong place when the explosion took place, they wouldn’t exist. In 2000, a book called The Shattered City by Janet Kitz opened my eyes. Those who lived to tell the tale suffered greatly from their ordeal. One story that stood out to me was the account of Barbara Orr who lost her immediate family in the explosion. Bells, now part of the memorial on Fort Needham Hill, were donated by her iVisit event page
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