One of the few remaining people who survived the Halifax Explosion has died at the age of 106.
Gladys Hazel Forrest, who went by Hazel, died in Halifax, N.S., on Monday, March 5.
According to her obituary, Forrest was born on May 31, 1911, in Halifax to William Henry (Harry) Hall and Elizabeth Annie Baskerville.
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Six years later, she would experience the event that would bring her name and face into the Canadian spotlight.
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On Dec. 6, 1917, as the Mont-Blanc exploded in the Halifax harbour — destroying much of the city and killing thousands — a six-year-old Forrest was staying in her aunt’s apartment in the city’s north end.
“When the explosion happened the side of the house blew off,” Forrest is recorded saying in the book, 6.12.17.
“I had to jump from the top floor down into my uncle’s arms.”
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Forrest was one of the oldest known survivors of the explosion and gained media attention as she grew older, featuring in multiple books, news stories and TV interviews.
Her obituary describes her as a wonderful homemaker.
Forrest is survived by her many family members including sons, granddaughters and great-grandchildren.
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