Halifax Explosion
In December 1917, Halifax was one of the busiest war time ports on the eastern seaboard of North America. It’s status as the largest ice free port on the western Atlantic coast and the fact that it was the closest ice free port to Europe contributed to the hustle and bustle that it experienced in the war years.
December 6, 1917 was no exception. The harbour was full of activity. A number of ships were arriving and departing the port. This accelerated activity along with a failure to abide by naval conventions and miscommunications contributed to the Halifax Disaster when Norwegian ship Imo enroute to New York to receive relief supplies for Belgium and the French munitions ship Mont-Blanc, which was in Halifax to join a trans-Atlantic convoy, carrying benzol, picric acid, TNT, and gun cotton collided in the Narrows of the harbour. The resulting explosion became known as the largest man-made explosion prior to the nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II. Nearly 2,000 people died in the explosion, but the number of deaths which can be directly attributed to the disaster is estimated to be much higher. The total damage to the city was estimated at $30 million.
Government and civilian response to the disaster was almost immediate and Halifax received relief support from all over the country, and the world. Below are listed some of the contributions from Governments for disaster relief. This list is not intended to be exhaustive, but shows that the world recognized Halifax’s time of need.
Jurisdiction | Amount provided | Amount provided (CAD $) | Adjusted to 2017 levels (CAD $) | Document links | Official correspondence and newspaper articles | Notes |
Canada | $1,000,000
$13,181,690
$12,000,000 (Canadian Annual Review : CAR) | $1,000,000
$13,181,690
$12,000,000 | $14,000,000
$184,500,000
$168,000,000 |
|
Halifax Relief Commission – 1st Report
May 18, 1918 Debate (Halifax Relief Commission) | $14,181,690 to $19 million (sources vary).
|
British Columbia
Greater Vancouver | $50,000
$56,180 (CAR) | $50,000 | $700,000 |
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Alberta | $10,050 | $10,050 | $140,700 | Public sector contributed $105,000
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Saskatchewan
Regina | $25,000 (CAR)
$5,000 | $25,000
$5,000 | $350,000
$70,000 |
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Manitoba
Winnipeg
Winnipeg Free Press Fund (CAR) | $25,000
$25,000
$85,011 | $25,000
$25,000
$85,011 | $350,000
$350,000
$1,200,000 | Provincial Secretary’s Recommendation
| Uncertain if the Winnipeg Free Press Fund includes the Public contributions. | |
Ontario
Toronto (CAR)
Hamilton (CAR) | $200,000
$100,000
$7,500 | $200,000
$100,000
$7,500 | $2,800,000
$1,400,000
$105,000 | Provincial funds provided in funds and supplies. | ||
Quebec | $100,000 | $100,000 | $1,400,000 |
|
| |
New Brunswick | $10,000 | $10,000 | $140,000 |
Letter from Reconstruction Committee
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Prince Edward Island | $8,000 | $8,000 | $112,000 |
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Nova Scotia | $35,000 | $35,000 | $490,000 | CAPS 18-19,61 of 1918 and 34 of 1919
| $35,000 provided for repairs to Capital Assets. | |
Newfoundland (CAR)
St. John’s (CAR)
| $50,000
$10,000 | $50,000
$10,000 | $700,000
$140,000 |
|
|
|
United States | $0 | $0 | $0 |
|
| $5,000,000 was promised, but never received – verified by Library of Congress. |
Chicago Committee (CAR) | $130,000 | $131,615 |
$1,800,000
|
|
|
|
Massachusetts Relief Committee | $750,000 | $759,317 | $10,600,000 |
| Massachusetts Committee on Public Safety
Report of the Halifax Relief Expedition
| Provided in services and real materials as well as financial donations. |
Maine |
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| Services and real materials. (No dollar value provided). | |
New York Special Fund (CAR) | $75,000 | $75,932 | $1,000,000 |
| Chamber of Commerce December Bulletin
| $5,000 from New York Chamber of Commerce. |
United Kingdom
Lord Mayor’s Fund of London | £1,000,000
| $4,704,179
$600,000 | $65,900,000
$8,400,000 |
| £5,000 from His Majesty King George V.
| |
Australia | £50,000 | $235,209 | $3,300,000 |
|
|
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New Zealand | £10,000 | $47,042 | $658,600 |
|
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Jamaica | £1,000 | $4,704 | $65,800 |
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Bermuda | £500 | $2352 | $32,900 |
|
| |
Hong Kong | £10,000 | $47,042 | $658,600 |
|
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Federated Malay States | £25,000 | $117,604 | $1,646,500 |
|
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Singapore
Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce | £10,000
$6,000 | $47,042
| $658,600
|
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Organizations |
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British Red Cross (CAR) | $125,000 | $125,000 | $1,750,000 |
|
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Bank of Nova Scotia (CAR) | $100,000 | $100,000 | $1,400,000 |
|
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Dominion Iron and Steel (CAR) | $50,000 | $50,000 | $700,000 |
|
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Royal Bank of Canada (CAR) | $50,000 | $50,000 | $700,000 |
|
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American Red Cross | $132,000 | $133,000 | $1,862,000 |
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All told, the amount of relief received was close to $30 million, which amounts to roughly $525 million in 2017.
