Nova Scotia Archives marks Halifax Explosion anniversary with more online content

The Nova Scotia Archives is commemorating the 98th anniversary of the Halifax Explosion with new digital content added to its existing online exhibit.

Personal narratives, first-hand survivor accounts, observations made by visitors in the days following, and photographs are included in the updated exhibit.

Communities, Culture and Heritage Minister Tony Ince said, “On December 6 we think of everything that was lost 98 years ago. As the survivors of the Halifax Explosion become fewer with each passing year, these first-hand accounts preserved at the Nova Scotia Archives help paint a vivid and very real picture of what people were faced with after that tragic day.”

A view of a portion of the Nova Scotia Archives website about the 1917 Halifax Explosion, Personal Narratives and other materials. Screen captured December 2, 2015.

A view of a portion of the Nova Scotia Archives website about the 1917 Halifax Explosion, Personal Narratives and other materials. Screen captured December 2, 2015.

A newly added document that is especially poignant is a 16-page letter from 29-year-old Ethel Jane Bond to her uncle, written ten days after the explosion during which her father was killed. The letter describes the devastation, her father’s death and her sister’s injuries, and details about the impact on various neighbours in the vicinity of Kaye Street in Halifax.

Provincial archivist Lois Yorke said, “As the centenary approaches, families are interested in sharing this very personal material. Each year recently, items about the Halifax Explosion have been donated to the Nova Scotia Archives, and in turn we are able to share them with Nova Scotians everywhere via our website.”

Nova Scotia Archives will continue to add to the online Halifax Explosion exhibit each year leading up to the 100-year anniversary in 2017.

Make sure you also click on 1917 Halifax Explosion Additional Resources on the right side of the web page.

The 1917 Halifax Explosion exhibit can be viewed on the Nova Scotia Archives website.

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