Books & Audiobooks
On the morning of December 6, 1917, parts of Halifax were decimated when two ships collided in the harbour, igniting the 2000 tonnes of explosives that were being carried aboard. It was the world’s largest pre-atomic explosion. Over 1,700 people were killed instantly and another 9,000 were wounded. Entire sections of the town were levelled by the impact, toppling entire buildings.
What history often forgets, however, is the affect the explosion had on the surrounding communities. The Halifax Explosion by Afua Cooper is a juvenile non-fiction poem detailing how that day changed the lives of those living in Africville. Africville began as a small Black Canadian village north of Halifax and grew to a population of several hundred by the time of the explosion. In the aftermath, the community was denied police and fire services and was given no relief funds. As a result, the community was left with few standing homes, and no clean water or working sewer lines.
The poem highlights members of Africville, such as Dr. Clement Ligoure. He was denied employment at a public hospital but on the day of the explosion, he worked to treat up to 200 patients a day. It also details how the survivors lost not only their homes, but also their livelihoods only to receive no government help.
The book contains a mix of artwork and period photographs that give the reader a clear idea of just how much was lost that day. Near the end of the book, the words are restated in plain text and readers can appreciate the literary value of the poem. There is also a historical note that puts into context the events leading up to the explosion and how little documentation there was surrounding Africville at the time. This would make an excellent classroom read-out-loud and serves as a great starting point to discuss some important topics such as Jim Crow laws and the history of Africville.