Halifax Explosion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Emily Rooney Show
I heard this very interesting piece on Thursday on the Emily Rooney WGBH radio station. It details the history of why Nova Scotia sends a beautiful tree to Boston every Christmas.
I have been up to Halifax a few times and it is a great place to visit . esp to see the Bluenose schooner. I was calling on scientists at Dalhousie Univ to sell them robotic lab instruments....
here is a summary of the explosion and the relief efforts that helped halifax get back on their feet. It snowed 16 inches the day after the explosion... OMG
Nova Scotia Holiday Tree: On December 6, 1917, a munitions ship exploded in Halifax Harbor, off the coast of Nova Scotia. Upwards of 2,000 people were killed by debris, fires, or collapsed buildings and an estimated 9,000 more were injured. By 10pm that night, a train loaded with supplies and emergency personnel was chugging through wintry terrain, on its way from Boston to Nova Scotia. It was a kind gesture in a time of need that the people of Nova Scotia have never forgotten. And since 1971 -- in continued thanks to the City of Boston -- Nova Scotia has donated a majestic balsam fir, white spruce or red spruce, to be Boston’s official Holiday tree. The tree selection has become quite the tradition in Nova Scotia and with me now tell us all about it is Nova Scotia’s Deputy Premier Frank Corbett, and Gary and Roseann Misner, whose 35 foot spruce was selected to be this year’s tree. They are all in town for the official tree lighting which takes place tonight on Boston Common.