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Online Lecture: Halifax Explosion and the Role of Railways
December 14, 2023 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Join us for “Halifax Explosion and the Role of Railways,” an online lecture on December 14!
On December 6, 1917 the SS Mont-Blanc collided with the SS Imo in the harbour of Halifax, Nova Scotia. What resulted was a devastating explosion that caused many deaths, many more casualties, and the destruction of Halifax itself. This explosion is still regarded as one of the largest human-engineered explosions on record and is an unforgettable part of 20th century Canadian history. Responding to the disaster was a collective effort that included the railways in northeastern Canada and the US. Join Roger Sarty and the TRM on December 14th, 2023 to learn more about the disaster and the railway’s role in the recovery from the explosion.
ABOUT ROGER SARTY
Roger Sarty, professor emeritus, Wilfrid Laurier University, was previously deputy director of the Canadian War Museum, and Senior Historian at the Department of National Defence. He is the author, co-author or editor of more than a dozen books, including the official history of the Royal Canadian Navy in the Second World War. At the Canadian War Museum he led the team that produced the exhibits for the new building that opened at Vimy Place in Ottawa in 2005. His interest in military history developed during his childhood in Halifax, not least because of the stories then current among older residents and their children about the great explosion of 1917. He was privileged to edit the manuscript of the noted journalist, the late Joseph Scanlon, for publication as Catastrophe: Stories and Lessons from the Halifax Explosion (Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2020).
ABOUT THE TORONTO RAILWAY MUSEUM (TRM)
The Toronto Railway Museum (TRM) brings people together by telling stories of Toronto’s railway heritage. The Museum is located in the heart of downtown Toronto and is typically open year-round. TRM presents exhibits, tours, educational programs and publications that broaden the understanding and appreciation of Toronto’s rich railway history. TRM is committed to telling the stories of the railways, and welcoming conversations of its varied experiences through its lecture series, exhibits and integrated programming with a mission to learn from the past to make the future better.