The Explosion

On December 6, 1917, the Mont Blanc and the Imo collided in the narrows of Halifax harbour. The Mont Blanc, carrying ammunition, caught fire and exploded at 9:06 in the morning. The disaster resulted in 1,635 deaths, five to six thousand injuries and according to one conservative estimate approximately 28 million dollars in damage. A detailed estimate showed that of those killed, 600 were under the age of 15; 166 were laborers; 134 were soldiers and sailors; 125 were craftsmen; 39 were workers for the railway.





Area devasted by Explosion (on modern map)





The waterfront and the north end were hardest hit with the Richmond district being flattened by the concussion and flying metal. Most of an estimated 750 families requiring rehousing came from this area (3). a region where 'many artisans, railroad men, workers in the shipyard and sugar factory, and shopkeepers had built their own modest homes.'(4) Specific 'horror stories,' as one can well imagine, were numerous and remain part of the city's oral tradition.

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Halifax Explosion Resources

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Atlantic Planners Institute

This page and all contents are produced by the Atlantic Planners Institute, an affiliate of the Canadian Institute of Planners.

This document was last modified on March 8, 2000.