Mr. Speaker, on December 6, 1917, at around 8 a.m. the Belgian relief ship Imo left Bedford Basin headed for open sea. At the same time the French munitions ship Mont Blanc was heading up the harbour. On board were 400,000 pounds of TNT.
The two ships collided. The Mont Blanc caught fire. At 9.05 a.m. in a blinding flash the earth shook with the largest man-made explosion prior to Hiroshima.
Nineteen hundred people were killed instantly. Within a year the figure had climbed well over two thousand. Nine thousand were injured. Almost all of north end Halifax was destroyed. A blizzard struck the following day, dumping 16 inches of snow over the ruins.
With astounding speed the relief efforts were set in motion. Haligonians remember the generosity of the state of Massachusetts. To this day Halifax sends an annual Christmas tree to the city of Boston in gratitude.
In light of the events of September 11 we take a moment to salute the generosity of our neighbours to the south who came to Canada's side when it was needed most.