Hon. Terry M. Mercer:

Honourable senators, on Monday, December 6, we remembered a solemn day in Nova Scotia's history, for it was on that day in 1917 when the Halifax Explosion ripped through neighbouring communities, killing 2,000 people and wounding over 9,000. Everything within a two-kilometre radius was destroyed, including the neighbourhood where I grew up many years later. A tsunami with over 60-foot waves pounded at the shoreline.

A French cargo ship, the SS Mont-Blanc was fully loaded with explosives and collided with the SS Imo, a Norwegian ship, in Halifax Harbour. To this day, the explosion is still the world's largest man-made accidental explosion.

It was close to Christmas, and winter had arrived, so the population was stocked up with fuel for heat and light. As a result of this fuel, the explosion caused major fires throughout the city, most notably, in the North End where I grew up.

Entire streets were on fire and entire communities destroyed. What made the disaster even worse was that a blizzard arrived the next day. At the school, which I attended many years later, the gymnasium was turned into a morgue for the bodies of the dead.

Honourable senators, during such disasters we often hear about acts of heroism. We cannot forget the brave sacrifices made by the firemen, many of whom lost their lives, and the hard work of the boatmen who helped in the harbour.

We also remember Vince Coleman, the railway dispatcher, whose telegraph message stopped all incoming trains from arriving in the city, saving hundreds of lives, even at the cost of his own life.

We cannot forget the work of the doctors, nurses and other aid workers who worked as best they could to help save lives and care for the injured. Help came from all over Eastern Canada, including Montreal. Even the City of Boston sent workers to help, who arrived on a train the day after the explosion. They were also the last to leave.

In 1918, Halifax sent a Christmas tree to the City of Boston to thank the many doctors, nurses and volunteers who came to Halifax to help in the relief efforts. This tradition was restarted in 1971. Since then, a Christmas tree has been donated every year to the City of Boston. This year, a nearly 50-foot white spruce was donated by Gary and Roseann Misner from North Alton, King's County, Nova Scotia, and was lit in the Boston Common on December 2.

Honourable senators, especially during the Christmas season, we should remember the sacrifices of all those who helped in the aftermath of the Halifax explosion.

We should all aspire to sacrifice of ourselves to help others, for is that not truly the meaning of Christmas?

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