The 105th memorial service of the Halifax Explosion took place on Tuesday at Fort Needham Memorial Park.
Nearly 2,000 people died, about 500 of them children, and thousands more were injured, including dozens who were left blinded. Survivor Eric Davidson, now deceased, was one of them.
Davidson was two years old at the time of the tragic event. He was remembered by his family as an “amazing man” who had a fondness for cars and spent his life working as a mechanic.
“He would put his hand on the hood of the car and would be able to tell people what was wrong with it,” says Matthew Elliott, Davidson’s grandson.
Elliott attended the commemorative ceremony with his mother and his two daughters.
“It’s an honour to be in the same family as him and we have to remember what happened. I love coming here and supporting and being honoured,” says Mary Elliott, Davidson’s great-granddaughter.
The family all wore red scarves to remember their loved one. There is a field nearby named in his honour.
“It’s so heartwarming to see so many people show up for this event. It’s a significant date in our shared history and it should never be forgotten,” says Marilyn Davidson-Elliott.
The explosion was the worst single event that has ever happened in Canada, in terms of loss of life, and the largest human-caused detonation until the U.S. atomic tests in 1945.
“It’s now entering the realm of story and history book. But it’s not just a historical event. It is embedded in the DNA of the place we are today,” says Deputy Mayor Sam Austin.
The day was also a solemn reminder for Halifax’s fire service.
An annual memorial service was held outside Station 4 for the nine firefighters who were killed as a result of the blaze.
Dozens turned up to pay their respects to the men who lost their lives in what is still the largest loss of life among firefighters in a single day in Canadian history.
“It’s an important tradition for us to recognize and reminds us of the fragility of some of the things that we do and the fact that we might not come home,” says Chris Camp, the Fallen Fire Fighters committee chair.
“These things shape our city. They shape who we are and everything we’ve got so it’s key to remember them as tragedies but also as a testament to the resilience of the people of Halifax who had no choice but to keep going,” says Matthew Elliott.
Comments