Mont Blanc loaded with explosives collided with the Norwegian-owned Imo in Halifax Harbour. What followed was the largest man-made explosion at that time in history. There were just under 2,000 people recorded killed and more than 9,000 others were wounded. More than, 1,000 eye cases were reported, some blinded in one or both eyes. The response from the surrounding community and across the world was astounding; especially from the Boston medical community that organized a trainload of medically trained personnel to arrive in Halifax shortly after the disaster. Halifax, in thanks and commemoration, to this day sends a Christmas tree to Boston annually. The explosion still resonates with Nova Scotians. Everyone knows a story. I have been told by people if their parents or grandparents had been in the wrong place when the explosion took place, they wouldn’t exist. In 2000, a book called The Shattered City by Janet Kitz opened my eyes. Those who lived to tell the tale suffered greatly from their ordeal. One story that stood out to me was the account of Barbara Orr who lost her immediate family in the explosion. Bells, now part of the memorial on Fort Needham Hill, were donated by her in remembrance of her family. She flew quarter of a mile in the air, only saved by landing on that hill. This phenomenon, also mentioned in Graham Metson’s book, Halifax Explosion , saw bystanders lifted by the blast, hurled a great distance, and then set down relatively unscathed – their fate dependent on where they were standing at the time and where they landed. The stories bear repeating to new generations, to remind us of the strength of the body and the soul and the will to survive. This is why I wrote a work of fiction, a book for children, Hope and Survival: A Story of the Halifax Explosion . It is based on factual events. It is part of my monumental community art projects to commemorate the 2017 centenary. The Hope and Survival Memorial Quilt consists of a centerpiece, 6’4” h x 8’8” w (1.9m x 2.6m) and the Scroll of Remembrance , 172 panels, 10” h x 8” w (25 cm x 20 cm). These panels, each with 12 names, are set in columns of 4 and rows of 3 to represent windows. The names of every known victim were beaded by volunteers from Nova Scotia and beyond, over a 2-year period. Scroll of Remembrance, Laurie Swim Scroll of Remembrance, Laurie Swim Scroll of Remembrance, Laurie Swim Scroll of Remembrance, Laurie Swim Scroll of Remembrance, Laurie Swim Hope and Survival Quilt, Laurie Swim
