Titanic cemetery in Halifax
This morning we went with Eric to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. It was a fascinating view of the history of maritime life in Atlantic Canada over the past 300+ years. It showed the evolution of ships from dugout canoes to the modern ocean vessels. Of particular interest was the account of the Halifax explosion in 1917, when a ship destined for Europe loaded with munitions for the war explored and levelled part of the city. Sixteen hundred homes and businesses were completely destroyed, another 12000 were damaged and 2000 people died, it was the largest man made explosion until Hiroshima.
The museum also maintains a large number of artifacts and a account of the sinking and rescue effort of the Titanic.
We toured the city and saw the memorial to the explosion and visited the cemetery where many of the victims of the titanic are buried. Many of them were not identified and the graves have only a number and the date.The site still has many visitors today and many paying there respects by leaving flowers or other gifts. The headstone of a unknown two year old boy had toys, notes and coins by it.
On Sunday we went to church with Eric and Gillian , met a few more people who knew other friends and family then enjoyed some of Eric's great cooking and had a relaxing day with our friends and their family.
Tomorrow we leave for the ferry to Newfoundland and will board early Tuesday for a six hour ride to the island.
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