Think Like a Historian: The Halifax Explosion

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Message to Teachers To mark the centennial of the Halifax Explosion, and help educators and students think critically about primary sources, Historica Canada has created the Think Like a Historian series of videos and classroom activities. This education guide gives students an introduction to the Halifax Explosion and working with primary sources. Inspired by the framework developed by Dr. Peter Seixas for the Historical Thinking Project, Think Like a Historian: The Halifax Explosion complements Canadian school curricula from grades 4 to 12. This series invites students to deepen their understanding of the Halifax Explosion and its larger historical context. Investigating primary sources from the time of the Explosion offers students an opportunity to make sense of the events that took place and why they are significant today. You may want to use all of the lessons in a sequence, or choose the most relevant lessons as standalone activities. Activities 1 and 2 in the education guide provide an introduction and overview to the Halifax Explosion and are designed to provide background and context. Activity 3 provides an introduction to taking historical perspectives when analyzing primary sources. Activities 4 and 5 include exercises to complement and further explore the Ethel Bond and Arthur Lismer videos in this series. You may choose to have students complete the Ethel Bond activities and video, the Arthur Lismer activities and video, or both. Activities 6 and 7 provide an opportunity for students to reflect on their understanding of historical perspectives and significance, and what they have learned about the Halifax Explosion. The Think Like a Historian series was produced with the generous support of the Government of Canada. Historica Canada is the country’s largest organization dedicated to enhancing awareness of Canada’s history and citizenship.

Teacher Tip: To complete the following activities, watch the accompanying videos as a class at least twice before beginning the activities. Students may want to watch the videos several times to familiarize themselves with the content. Turning on subtitles can help New Language Learners better understand the videos. Discuss any questions students may have about the videos after watching each one.

Arrival of Hospital Ship at Pier No.2 Halifax , 1918 or later, by Mr. Arthur Lismer (courtesy Canadian War Museum/19710261-0924).

The Gazette , 7 December 1917 (courtesy Toronto Star Newspaper Centre).

Note to Educators: Accommodations for Special Education, ELL and ESL students are included in these worksheets, and are identified as “modifications.”

Visit thinklikeahistorian.ca to view all the videos in the series and download additional free, bilingual educational resources. Other free, bilingual educational resources are available on Historica Canada’s Education Portal , and on The Canadian Encyclopedia . Two supplementary worksheet packages complement this education guide – the Ethel Bond Worksheets Package and the Arthur Lismer Worksheets Package – both of which can be downloaded on the Education Portal . Online Resources

The Historical Thinking Project: historicalthinking.ca Library and Archives Canada: bac-lac.gc.ca Canadian War Museum: warmuseum.ca Nova Scotia Archives: archives.novascotia.ca

Historica Canada Education Portal: education.historicacanada.ca The Canadian Encyclopedia: thecanadianencyclopedia.ca The Heritage Minutes: heritageminutes.ca Historica Canada: historicacanada.ca

Cover Images: The Globe , 7 December 1917 (courtesy Toronto Star Newspaper Centre). | Letter from Ethel Jane Bond to Murray Kellough, 16 December 1917 (courtesy Nova Scotia Archives/Murray Kel lough fonds/2010-015). | Soldiers engaged in rescue work after the Halifax Explosion (courtesy Library and Archives Canada/Department of National Defence/PA-022744). | “Roome Street School”, 1917 or 1918 (courtesy Nova Scotia Archives/Halifax City Regional Library Collection/1983-212). | “Hour of Horror in Devastated Richmond”, sketch by Arthur Lismer in The Drama of a City: The Story of Stricken Halifax by Stanley K. Smith, 1918 (courtesy Baldwin Collection/Toronto Reference Library).

introduction On the morning of December 6, 1917, two ships collided in Halifax Harbour, generating an explosion that devastated the city and surrounding area. Nearly 2,000 people died, and another 9,000 were wounded. At the time, the Halifax Explosion was the largest human-made explosion in history. Halifax was a bustling port city, and played a particularly significant role during the First World War (1914–1918). Halifax served as an important destination for Allied ships travelling across the Atlantic Ocean. Ships carrying troops and supplies gathered in Halifax Harbour before setting off in a convoy (a group of ships travelling together) across the ocean to Europe. The constant presence of soldiers and the threat of shelling by German submarines (U-boats), meant that Nova Scotia was closely connected to the war in Europe. The morning of December 6 began like many other days — people prepared breakfast and went to work, children went to school, and ships moved in and out of the Harbour. But on this morning, the movement of those ships led to a deadly collision. A Norwegian ship, the SS Imo , carrying relief supplies to Belgium, began its departure from Halifax Harbour. At the same time, a French ship, the SS Mont Blanc , loaded with explosive munitions bound for the battlefields of France, was arriving. Passing through the narrow passage of the harbour, miscommunication led the two ships to collide, sparking a fire. Few people knew that the Mont Blanc was loaded with explosives and therefore few were aware of

the immediate danger. Within 20 minutes, the fire aboard the Mont Blanc ignited the explosives. The detonation of nearly 2,500 tonnes of explosive materials sent a blast across the city, shattering windows, levelling buildings and taking thousands of lives. The Halifax Explosion made international news, and offers of relief came swiftly from neighbouring communities in Canada, the United States and beyond. The city rallied together to support the 6,000 people made homeless by the Explosion, and the many thousands more left without adequate shelter. Friends, family, community shelters and relief stations provided food, clothing and shelter to those who had lost everything. The state of Massachusetts played a particularly essential role, acting quickly to send trains of supplies and medical personnel, including surgeons and nurses to treat the thousands of wounded. For a more comprehensive overview of the event, please read “ Halifax Explosion ” on The Canadian Encyclopedia . Think Like a Historian: The Halifax Explosion explores the role of Halifax during the First World War, the causes and consequences of the Explosion, and the experiences of survivors so that we can better understand the perspectives of those who lived through or died as a result of the Explosion. Individual perspectives of survivors, brought to life through primary sources, reveal what it was like to be in Halifax on that fateful day. These primary sources provide a window to explore this dramatic event in Canadian history.

HOW DID HALIFAX CHANGE DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR? 1. HALIFAX DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR

What role did Halifax play during the war effort? Explore the wartime conditions in Halifax and assess the biggest changes the city experienced during the war. 1. Form small research groups of three or four people. Drawing on what you know, brainstorm as a group how Halifax, and how life for its residents, may have changed as a result of the war. Consider the city’s role in the war effort, as well as its geographical location, resources, residents and infrastructure. 2. In your group, generate a list of three to five things that might have changed as a result of the war. 3. Read “ Wartime City ” in the “ Halifax Explosion ” article on The Canadian Encyclopedia to examine how various aspects of life in Halifax changed. Add additional ideas to your list as you uncover them. 4. In your group, make a final judgment about the degree of change Halifax experienced during the First World War based on your list. Rank the degree of change on a scale from 1 to 5 (1 being a small degree of change; 5 being a large degree of change), and justify your ranking.

Olympic with Returned Soldiers , 1919, by Mr. Arthur Lismer (courtesy Canadian War Museum/19710261-0343).

Teacher Tip: Halifax faced many wartime changes. Consider the following changes with your class: the threat of German U-boats, blackouts for Halifax homes and businesses out of fear of bombing, an increase of soldiers in the city, the arrival of hospital ships and the return of wounded soldiers, total war, the role of women in the war effort, and the role of children in the war effort.

2. THE HALIFAX EXPLOSION: CAUSES & CONSEQUENCES WHAT WERE THE CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE HALIFAX EXPLOSION?

Cause & Consequence Historical events are not inevitable , but the result of complex relationships between causes and consequences. Short- and long-term causes are the product of the interaction between context (existing conditions) and agency (the power humans exercise). Some consequences are expected , others unexpected . For more information on the Historical Thinking Concepts, visit historicalthinking.ca .

“Wrecked homes – Campbell’s [sic] Rd.”, 1917 or 1918 (courtesy Nova Scotia Archives).

Part B: consequences

Part A: causes

1. Substantial effect: Led to a dramatic difference in the way things functioned 2. Relatively permanent: Led to a lasting condition or development 3. Widespread: Effects were broadly felt across a particular society/time period 1 Criteria for Historical Change Using the criteria for historical change [see below], have a class discussion about the most significant consequences of the Halifax Explosion. Take a class vote on which consequence had the most significant impact. Extension activity 1: What caused the Explosion? View the Think Like a Historian: The Halifax Explosion introductory video and the Halifax Explosion Heritage Minute and read Halifax Explosion on The Canadian Encyclopedia to learn about the causes. 1. Note any causes of the Explosion you observe or hear while watching the video(s) and reading the article. What questions do you have about the causes? 2. Explore a variety of sources to gather evidence about what caused this event. 3. In pairs, share the causes you have uncovered. Sort them into short term (immediate) and long-term causes. 4. Create a timeline that presents the causes that led to the Halifax Explosion that you have identified in chronological order.

What occurred in the aftermath of the Explosion? Assess the most significant consequences. 1. In pairs, brainstorm the different ways a large explosion could affect an urban port. Create a list of consequences. 2. Explore various sources to gather more evidence about the impact of the Explosion, and identify other consequences. 3. Create a list of categories of consequences (physical damage, immediate responses, human loss, economic consequences, etc.). Sort your list of consequences into the categories you have created. Are there any outliers that don’t fit any particular category? If so, make a note of them. 4. Sort the consequences into expected and unexpected consequences. 5. Write a short reflection on the consequences you have listed. Were there any that surprised you? Were there any that you didn’t initially foresee?

Modification 1

Search the internet for images of the Halifax Explosion. You may also want to search the Canadian War Museum, The Canadian Encyclopedia , Library and Archives Canada, the Nova Scotia Archives and SOS! Canadian Disasters. Create a poster or PowerPoint presentation of the causes and/or consequences using images you found in your search. Add captions to the images, noting whether each depicts a cause or consequence.

Modification 2

Create a commemorative postcard that captures one of the significant consequences of the Halifax Explosion. Choose a newspaper headline, quote, map and/or image from the Canadian War Museum, The Canadian Encyclopedia , Library and Archives Canada, the Nova Scotia Archives or SOS! Canadian Disasters to incorporate into your postcard design. Research Resources For additional research resources, read “ The Halifax Explosion and the CNIB ,” “ The Halifax Explosion Feature ,” “ The Halifax Relief Commission ” and “ Halifax Explosion Map ” on The Canadian Encyclopedia and/or watch a 13-minute silent film on post Explosion Halifax on the Nova Scotia Archives YouTube channel .

Extension activity 2:

Have a class discussion about the issue of responsibility in the Explosion. Which people or groups were responsible? Consider the following questions: How do we know whether someone is responsible? What does it mean to be responsible? How is responsibility different from blame? Write a reflection outlining your thoughts.

1 Adapted from “Learning about Continuity and Change”, The Critical Thinking Consortium, https://tc2.ca/uploads/PDFs/thinking-about-history/continuity_and_change_elementary.pdf

4. ETHEL BOND: LETTERS Through the following activities, students will work towards a better understanding of the experiences of people who survived the Halifax Explosion. To begin, watch and listen carefully to the Ethel Bond video. Afterwards, share your responses with the rest of the class (including connections, questions, etc.). As you work through the activities in this section, keep in mind the following guiding question: Guiding Question: What can we learn about Ethel Bond’s experiences during the Halifax Explosion from her letter? Teacher Tip: • Download the 3D Primary Source Pyramid from the Education Portal . Have students assemble a pyramid to help guide and prompt their analysis in the activities. • Download the Annotated Ethel Bond Letter in the Ethel Bond Worksheets Package for additional context and tips on how to guide analysis of the letter in your classroom.

3. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES

WHAT CAN WE LEARN ABOUT THE EXPERIENCES OF PEOPLE DURING THE HALIFAX EXPLOSION THROUGH PRIMARY SOURCES?

1. Brainstorm memorable experiences or events in your life and choose one to describe to a partner. Take turns describing events with your partner. Offer a vivid account using the five senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch) and personal thoughts. While your partner tells you about their experience, listen for words that reveal their thoughts, values and beliefs about the event, and about the world more widely. Discuss with your partner. Compare what you thought was significant with what they thought was significant. 2. As a class, discuss how you can take what you’ve learned and apply it to primary source analysis. How can you tell how the person you are analyzing (in this case, your partner) felt or thought about the events that took place? For example, which words or phrases offered the most insight into their perspective? Even though you may not be able to identify with their experience, you may be able to better understand their perspective by paying attention to those details.

• A biography of Ethel Bond is available in the Ethel Bond Worksheets Package on the Education Portal .

“Plan showing devastated area of Halifax City, N.S.”, 1918 (courtesy Nova Scotia Archives/N.S. Board of Insurance Underwriters, V6/240 – 1917 Halifax: Location 4.2.3.2).

Bond Family, c . 1900 (private collection of Koralee King).

The 5Ws After reading the Ethel Bond Letter Transcript in the Ethel Bond Worksheets Package on the Education Portal , look for clues to answer the who, what, when, where, and why of the account. 1. In pairs, use the 5Ws Chart in the Ethel Bond Worksheets Package to write your observations about the letter:

A)

• Who wrote the letter? • To whom was it written? • When and where was the letter written?

• What is the letter about? • Why was the letter written? 2. What further questions do you have? 3. Discuss your findings as a class.

Historical Perspectives Exploring historical perspectives involves working toward a better understanding of those who lived in the past — people who had different worldviews and experiences , and who lived in a different historical context. We cannot simply imagine or guess what someone from the past believed or valued; we must examine evidence to draw observations and inferences that will shape our understanding. The perspective of one person from the past can provide a wealth of evidence about an event, an experience, or a worldview, but we cannot generalize based on one perspective. We must consider multiple perspectives and develop a broad understanding of the different perspectives that existed in the past. Primary sources, including personal letters and sketches, are an excellent way to explore historical perspectives and better understand the lives and experiences of people in the past. Read more about the Historical Thinking Concepts at historicalthinking.ca .

B) CONTEXT

Exploring the context in which Ethel’s letter was written helps us better understand the content in the letter. Ethel Bond’s family lived in Richmond, a North Halifax working-class suburb that was devastated by the Explosion. Many of the people who lived there were skilled railroad and construction workers, although Ethel’s father, Alexander Bond, owned a sugar mill. Read more about the areas of Halifax affected by the Explosion in the “ Halifax Explosion ” article on The Canadian Encyclopedia . Make notes answering the following questions: • What can this tell you about which people and communities were most affected? • What questions do you still have?

Letter from Ethel Jane Bond to Murray Kellough, 16 December 1917 (courtesy Nova Scotia Archives/ Murray Kellough fonds/2010-015).

4. ETHEL BOND - CONT’D

C) EXPLORING

Reread and analyze Ethel Bond’s letter. A close reading is important to gain a deeper understanding of Ethel Bond’s experiences. 1. In pairs, identify and define any unfamiliar words or phrases. 2. Underline or circle words or phrases in the letter that offer clues about Ethel Bond’s feelings and thoughts, and what was important to or valued by Bond. 3. Explore the letter to understand her experiences using the five senses. Briefly summarize what Bond describes seeing and hearing, and make inferences about what she might have smelled, tasted, or touched. Teacher Tip: Prompt students to look out for sentences that don’t make sense even though they may know the meaning of the words. Consider printing copies of the letter for students.

Ethel Bond (young adult), c . 1911 (private collection of Koralee King).

E) FINDING PROOF

Letter from Ethel Jane Bond to Murray Kellough, 16 December 1917 (courtesy Nova Scotia Archives/ Murray Kellough fonds/2010-015).

Compare two or more individuals’ experiences of the Halifax Explosion. Is there enough evidence in other sources to corroborate Ethel Bond’s account? 1. In pairs, compare Ethel Bond’s letter to her sister’s letter in the Primary Sources Supplement in the Ethel Bond Worksheets Package on the Education Portal . Using the Finding Proof Chart , also in the Ethel Bond Worksheets Package , compare and contrast Bond’s account with this other account. Record your findings in the chart. Consider the following questions when making your assessments: • How is Ethel’s perspective on the Explosion different from another survivor’s? • How is it the same? 2. Discuss the similarities and differences you noted with another pair. Record your findings in your notebook. • Are the accounts more similar or different? • What are the most important similarities or differences? Are there inconsistencies? • What does this tell you about the reliability of individual sources? • What does comparing perspectives reveal to you about the Explosion? 3. Are there still any gaps in your understanding of the experience of different people living and working in Halifax at the time? What accounts or whose voices are you still seeking?

Word Key Magazine: place to store ammunitions Rent: pierced or disturbed with sound Harrow up: to deeply disturb or distress

D) REACHING CONCLUSIONS

Modification

As you study the details of the letter, develop conclusions based on what you observe and what you can infer. What can we learn about Ethel Bond’s experiences from her letter? Record your observations, hypotheses and conclusions in the Reaching Conclusions Chart in the Ethel Bond Worksheets Package on the Education Portal . As a class, discuss what we can learn about the Explosion from Ethel Bond’s letter. • What does the evidence suggest about Ethel Bond’s thoughts and feelings about the Explosion? • What has this letter taught you about one person’s perspective on what it was like to live through the Explosion?

Create your own sketches of visual descriptions in the letter as you watch and listen to the video at least twice.

Alternatively, read the letter transcript aloud while

students sketch their vignettes. Note to teachers:

Map and Guide of Halifax City, c . 1880s (courtesy Halifax Public Libraries Digital Collections/Vintage Halifax City Guides).

Arthur Lismer, A.R.C.A. (courtesy Archives of Ontario/ F 1075-12-0-0-53/I0007820).

Contextualizing a primary source involves placing the source in space and time. Examining the context of a source helps us situate one piece of evidence in the wider picture of history. To analyze Arthur Lismer’s sketches as evidence from the past, it is important to consider them within the events of the time. 1. Working in pairs, review the Arthur Lismer Sketches Collection in the Arthur Lismer Worksheets Package on the Education Portal . 2. Using your knowledge and notes from Activities 1 and 2 in this guide, assess what evidence you can see in Lismer’s sketches of the Explosion. Consider the following questions: • Is the broader historical context of the First World War visible in Lismer’s sketches? • Is it obvious that these sketches depict the Halifax Explosion? Or could they be depicting another event? 3. Discuss your findings as a class. 5. ARTHUR LISMER: SKETCHES A biography of Arthur Lismer is available in the Arthur Lismer Worksheets Package on the Education Portal . In the following activities, you will work toward a better understanding of the experiences of people who survived the Halifax Explosion. To begin, watch and listen carefully to the “Halifax Explosion in Sketches” video. After watching the video, share your responses with the class (including connections, questions, etc.). As you work through the activities in this section, keep in mind the following guiding question: Guiding Question: How do Arthur Lismer’s sketches provide a deeper understanding of the experiences of people who lived through the Halifax Explosion? Teacher Tip : Download the 3D Primary Source Pyramid from the Education Portal . Have students assemble a pyramid to help guide their analysis. The 5Ws After watching the “ Halifax Explosion in Sketches ” video, complete the 5Ws chart to record your findings and organize your thoughts. 1. Use the 5Ws Chart in the Arthur Lismer Worksheets Package to record your answers. • Who is the artist? • When and where were the sketches created? • What do they communicate? B) CONTEXT • Why were they created? 2. What questions do you have? 3. Discuss your findings as a class.

A.Y. Jackson, Fred Varley, Lawren Harris, Barker Fairley, Frans Johnston, Arthur Lismer, J.E.H. Macdonald at the Arts and Letters Club (courtesy Archives of Ontario/F 1066-6/I0010313).

C) EXPLORING

Inference : An inference is an educated guess, based on evidence and reason. 1. Using your notes from the I See, I Think, I Wonder Chart , draw three conclusions that answer the guiding question: What can we learn from Arthur Lismer’s sketches about people’s experiences during the Explosion? 2. Discuss your conclusions in small groups. Are your findings similar to or different from those of other groups? 3. Have a class discussion. D) REACHING CONCLUSIONS Compare one of Lismer’s sketches with a similar photograph in the Image Comparison Supplement in the Arthur Lismer Worksheets Package on the Education Portal . 1. Working in pairs, choose an image set from the available photographs and sketches to compare. Record notes about the details in each of the images in the Finding Proof Chart in the Arthur Lismer Worksheets Package . 2. Consider the similarities and differences that you found and discuss your findings with another pair. • Are the images more similar or different? • What are the most important similarities or differences? • Are there inconsistencies? • What does comparing images of the event reveal to you about the Halifax Explosion? Write a brief caption for a sketch and a photograph from each artist’s perspective. Modification Studying the details of a sketch can reveal a deeper understanding of Lismer’s perspective and the Halifax Explosion itself. In pairs, select a sketch to analyze. Use the I See, I Think, I Wonder Chart in the Arthur Lismer Worksheets Package to record your observations as you work through the steps below. 1. Study the image closely. Cover three-quarters of the image with a piece of paper, and focus on one quadrant at a time to examine the details. 2. Working independently, begin with the “I See” section of the chart. Think about the following questions and record your observations in the “I See” section: • Who is in the image? Consider age, gender, social or familial role(s). • What details do you see? Consider the actions and expressions of figures, and the buildings or landscapes depicted. • What is the mood and tone? Consider the composition, and techniques like lines, shading and colour. 3. Next, work with your partner on the “I Think” section. Building on what you recorded in the “I See” section, develop inferences [see below] about what the sketch communicates, what Lismer’s intentions may have been, or what it might tell us about the Explosion. Which details do you think tell us the most about the experiences of people who lived through the Explosion? 4. Do you still have questions about what is going on in the sketch? List your questions in the “I Wonder” section. 5. Come together as a class to discuss your findings. E) FINDING PROOF

A)

Note to educators: Assign students one of the images in the Arthur Lismer Sketches Collection to analyze.

6. SUMMATIVE: A Debating Visual Evidence

6. SUMMATIVE: B Missing Perspectives

As photographic technology evolved in the early 20th century, cameras became a more accessible way to capture a moment in time — with the perception of recording reality. Photographic postcards of the Explosion were widely circulated after the disaster, but some newspapers — like the Canadian Courier — believed sketches evoked more feeling: “...because the Artist felt what he saw he flung down his impressions in quick, nervous lines and splashes more eloquent than the accurate lines of any camera, at a time when the eyes and ears and the very brains of people were in a State of Chaos in a City of Wrecks.” Newspapers were the primary source of information for Canadians at this time. Lismer’s drawings, in the context of this article, played a role in shaping the public perceptions of what those who lived through the disaster experienced. 1. As a class, debate whether sketches or photographs are more useful to understand the Explosion? Which is more reliable? Why? 2. Alternatively, discuss the strengths and limitations of using visual evidence — like sketches or photographs — as opposed to textual primary accounts (like letters).

Our understanding of the past is shaped in large part by the primary-source evidence that has been saved and shared through time. This means that when evidence from the past goes missing, is thrown away, or is not publicly accessible (in museums or archives), the voices contained in that evidence are silenced. 1. Working in pairs, take stock of the individual perspectives that you have explored so far. Have a brainstorm discussion about the following questions: • Whose voices are represented? Consider age, gender, class, ethnicity, nationality and religion. • Whose voices are missing? Why are these voices often absent from historical records? • Whose voices would be helpful to create a more complete picture? 2. As a class, have a discussion about whose perspectives are missing. Why do you think this is? How can we try to get at absent perspectives? Teacher Tip: You may want to prompt students to consider the different ways in which voices are left out, including how different cultural groups preserve their histories, how literacy can affect written records, and how a museum or other heritage organizations decide what enters their collections. 7. THE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE HALIFAX EXPLOSION Should We Study the Halifax Explosion? Imagine the history curriculum is being rewritten, and you have been asked to weigh in on whether an event should be included. 1. In a small group, discuss the historical significance of the Explosion based on your research thus far. 2. Use the Historical Significance Criteria [see below] to record your findings. 3. Decide as a group whether, or to what extent, the Explosion should be included in the curriculum. Is it a significant event just for Haligonians? For people from Nova Scotia? For the Maritimes? All of Canada? The rest of the world? Make recommendations, and provide evidence to support your reasoning. 4. As a class, vote on whether the Explosion is significant enough to be studied in your province or territory. WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE HALIFAX EXPLOSION IN CANADA’S HISTORY? SHOULD IT BE INCLUDED IN THE K-12 SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM IN EVERY PROVINCE AND TERRITORY ACROSS CANADA?

Teacher Tip: Refer to The Memory Project: A Guide to Primary Sources for more info about the strengths and limitations of visual primary source evidence.

“Relief Station at Old Green Lantern”, sketch by Arthur Lismer in Stanley K. Smith, The Drama of a City: The Story of Stricken Halifax , 1918 (courtesy Baldwin Collection/Toronto Reference Library).

Visual Primary Sources Visual primary sources, like photographs and sketches, can be valuable and rich pieces of evidence about the past. Visual evidence can reveal clues that historians are unable to find elsewhere. For example, visual evidence can give us details about clothing styles, daily life and architecture, or it can capture moments from significant events. Visual evidence can also be analyzed as a representation of a particular moment in the past. For instance, a recruitment poster from the First World War might tell us not only how soldiers were persuaded to enlist, but also reveal attitudes about gender roles at the time. For more information, see The Memory Project: A Guide to Primary Sources on the Education Portal.

Historical Significance Criteria Prominence: Was it recognized as significant when it happened? Consequences: How significant was the impact? Revealing: What does it reveal about the larger historical context or current issues? 3

Damage caused by the Halifax Explosion at the north end of Campbell Road (courtesy Library and Archives Canada/C-003625B).

3 Adapted from ‘“Considering Significance”, The Critical Thinking Consortium, https://tc2.ca/ pdf/T3_pdfs/EHT_TheGreatestHits.pdf

These worksheets have been designed to accompany the Think Like a Historian: The Halifax Explosion Education Guide . The Think Like a Historian series was produced with the generous support of the Government of Canada. Visit thinklikeahistorian.ca to view all the videos in the series and download additional free, bilingual educational resources.

ETHEL BOND Biography

THINKLIKEAHISTORIAN.CA

Ethel Bond was born in Halifax in 1888. Her parents were Alexander (1858–1917) and Margaret (née Kellough) Bond (1858–1903). After graduating with a BA from New Brunswick’s Mount Allison University in 1911, Ethel moved back to Halifax. She was a practising Methodist and lived adjacent to the Kaye Street Methodist Church, which she regularly attended. Here she presumably met Frederick Hockin, the son of a former minister. Although they were engaged to be married, Hockin was killed in July 1917 while fighting in the First World War. Disaster struck again in December 1917, when the Halifax Explosion destroyed her house (and much of her neighbourhood) and killed her father. After the Explosion, Ethel moved to Winnipeg, where she became involved in social welfare, and studied the subject at the University of Manitoba. At the same time, she became close with Frederick’s younger brother, Harold. The two married in 1919 and had a son, Alan. She died in 1958.

Above: Bond Family, c. 1900 (private collection of Koralee King).

Above: Ethel Bond (young adult), c . 1911 (private collection of Koralee King).

ETHEL BOND Letter Transcript

THINKLIKEAHISTORIAN.CA

Use this worksheet to support the ‘Exploring’ exercise in Activity 4 of Think Like a Historian: The Halifax Explosion Education Guide .

298 South Street Halifax, N.S. Dec. 16th 1917

Dear Uncle Murray,

Little I thought when I wrote a couple of weeks ago, that I’d be writing now under such altered circumstances. I know you are all very anxious to get some first hand, definite news from us and I’m going to try to let you know just all about things. It is very hard to write about it all and yet the later one leaves writing the harder it is to get at it. You have bye [sic] this time got the wire Jean sent and also her letter so you know that the worst has happened to us. But really Uncle Murray when we see the suffering and agony of people and how one person after another has been cut up beyond recognition, lived awhile and then died, why we have a very great deal to be thankful for. Daddy, while he was killed and we simply do not know where to turn, is free from all this pain and suffering and he never knew what happened to him. The morning of the disaster Bid [nickname for sister Bertha] was late getting up and Daddy and I had had our breakfast and family prayer. Miss Newcombe was coming to sew and I was in a hustle, so when we came out into the kitchen Daddy picked up our sugar tin from the pantry floor and went to the mill to fill it. I went to the front door to get the morning paper and had merely reached the door when I was knocked down, stunned. Things kept coming on me and I got a bang in my chin and I really thought that it was all up with me. Everywhere it was pitch black and coming as it did out of a clear beautiful morning, I immediately thought the magazine in Wellington had blown up. The first thing I remember is scrambling up out from under things and climbing up the remains of the stairway to Bertha. She was standing in the upper hall just by the sky-light, dark closet door and blood seemed dripping from everywhere. She had been in the bathroom and was blown from the toilet clean out into the hall and I think her cuts were from the glass on that big picture hanging there. Her left leg up above the knee was cut in a number of places. Her face seemed all cut and she had two teeth knocked off. You see she only had her underclothes on so she was pretty well exposed. A heavy blue bathrobe was blown completely off and she didn’t see it after. She says she saw the church collapse before she herself was knocked out but I have no recollection of anything beyond the one big crash. When we got some clothes for Bid and I saw she was alive, I went as fast as I could to Daddy. You see I knew where he went and I crawled over things and got to the ruins. The barn was flat. The mill was in the same state. I don’t know where things were but everything had collapsed. I couldn’t hear a sound and called frantically but go[t] no answer. I thought that he might be stunned and pinned down so he couldn’t move so I began to move boxes and things and when I looked down his body was right at my feet and everything was quiet. Oh, I can’t tell you how I felt. It was all so dreadful and the moans and crys [sic] that rent the air will ring in my ears for ages. Something, we don’t know just what, struck Daddy on the head, making a very deep cut and causing instant death. His head was bleeding terribly and we could do nothing. The heart action was completely stopped and his head from the concussion and loss of blood was even then cold. Bid came and we lifted a couple of things off but the crys [sic] of the living who needed help were so insistent that we simply had to leave and help them. Fires started as soon as the explosion came and we were forced to act quickly. Our house did not

catch immediately. Killams were calling. Mr. K. was in bed – diphtheria – and the kiddies were out here at Seymour St with Theakstons. Mrs Killam was in the cellar at the time and thought she had done something amiss with the furnace and it had blown up. She had a very hard job getting out and strained herself badly. Mr K. was blown out of bed and could not do much to help himself. The whole back of their house was slid around and the upper floor was blown down on a slant so Bid and I guided him as he slid down in his night clothes. We got him on to a mattress Mrs K threw down and covered him with blankets while Mrs K got some clothes for him: We left them and went over the field to the parsonage, not expecting to see one of them alive. Mr Swetnam was out and trying to get little Dorothy out. Mrs Swetnam and Carmen both were killed. Little Dorothy was unhurt but she was in a little hole where it seemed impossible to get her out. Her father got down [in the] cellar and got an old saw and tried to saw through the big sill but he would saw a bit and then thrown [sic] down the saw in despair. She was sort of in a triangle made by the east wall falling up the hill and was so pinned in her head could not get out through the whole [sic]. The poor child had whooping cough too and had a spell while in her prison. He would not let us try up the wall for fear something would fall and crush Dorothy and when I told her she’d have to push her head through, some how that it was a matter of life or death, he told me not to tell her any such thing. The back of the house was on fire by then and we got desperate so Bid put all her weight on a piece of wood sticking out and between the three of us we pulled the child out. Nothing could be done for those in the ruins as the fire drove everyone away. One poor woman in the old Gibson house was alive, pinned under the stove, upstairs. The house was burning and another woman was in our field like a maniac. We could do nothing for the woman in the house only pray that unconsciousness would come to her before the fire reached her. It was heart rending and we could do positively nothing to help her. We took the Swetnams back to our ruins and got them some clothes and tried to gather something together. If the fire had not come we could have saved a great deal. Young St was all ablaze and the houses opposite us on Kaye St were in the same condition. We grabed [sic] coats mostly as they were the only things in sight. Upstairs, we could get into the bathroom, Bertha’s front room and the upper hall. All the other rooms were all demolished. I went to my room but all I could reach was my old fur lined coat packed in its box with moth stuff. All my clothes and everything on my dressing table, in fact nothing presented itself to me. Everything was a confused mass of stuff and was piled so against the door that I couldn’t get in. The whole back of the house was blown off and broken water pipes covered me with dirty water and stuff. Downstairs the parlour were [sic] in the same state. Really we could find nothing and we were ordered away or we’d be so hemmed in by fire we’d not get away alive. Bid opened the safe and took out everything. She tore open some two sofa pillows and emptied everything into these for bags. We each had new plush coats (mine not paid for) and they were both in the spare room closet—burned. Uncle Murray I can’t tell you how we got away but we joined the crowds of people, cut and bleeding terribly and as we went we put our coats on those who needed clothing. The sights I saw were terrible. Really Daddy was far better off than so many. He was ready to die. His faith in God was always an example to us and when we know he went to Heaven without feeling pain or knowing the agonies that some people have known we feel comforted. Had I been killed when I was knocked down I’d never have suffered, any at all. The suffering came when I came back to consciousness and realized everything. It was so hard to leave Daddy’s body and yet we could not do anything else. We got up to the top of the hill in the open. Bertha left in an auto with Mr Killam for the Theakstons. Then came frantic crys [sic] and warnings to run west to the woods as fast as we could as the magazine in the Barracks would blow up in any minute. Imagine the feelings of those lying on doors for stretchers and some just lying on the ground. But I’m not going to harrow up your feelings any more. Mrs K, Evelyn, (Rev.) Mr and Mrs Laird (Mrs K’s sister and husband from P.E.I) walked as far west as we could then turned south and made for Seymour St. Soldiers stopped us everywhere and ordered us to stop and get in the open. In time we got here and finally landed in Rod McDonald’s field up back of the Golf Links next to Marlboro Woods. One thing after another happened and finally we with Billy Page a lad from near Brandon who is on the Niobe landed at Mr John Sutherlands here at 298 South St. You remember Barnstead and Sutherlands? Jim Rhind is Mrs S’s brother. Here we are and nothing will induce us to go to Aunt Libbie’s or Fred Walkers. Fred was very anxious and indeed we drove up there last Sunday but the association of things there was too much for us and we had to come back before we’d been there three hours. He lives in a new flat on Hunter St. It is a new street paurallel [sic] with Robie running from Willow to Cunard up next to Windsor St. We had been there only two Sundays before with Daddy and had gone over the whole place and had seen all

their wedding presents. It was more than Bid could stand so we came away. It is terrible in town. No glass anywhere. All the shop windows are boarded up and we get the feeling that the buildings will fall on us.

I can’t begin to tell you the full extent of the ruined district as I don’t really know. George Bowen[‘s] case is terrible. He had two children killed, Clara about thirteen and little Alfred the dearest little pet about five. Mrs Bowen was very badly hurt and suffered intensely. She had one leg amputated and they were so sure she’d live. After a few days of terrible agony (or so we heard) she died and George and Jamie are broken hearted. They are leaving here tomorrow morning for Winnipeg so you’ll probably see him. Allisons are all alive. We saw Mr Allison and Lizzie this afternoon. Mr was O.K. Lizzie had her foot hurt and it was her first time out doors [sic]. She walked very lame and could only wear a big overshoe. Han was cut about the chest and face. She had to have several stitches. Mrs Allison had a big cut in her neck. Jean was the worst of that family and is still in hospital. Her arms are bandaged from wrists to shoulder blades and one leg was cut so badly it was feared it would have to come off. Lizzie told us tonight it was a great deal better. They have tubes in it draining it and now feel sure they’ll save it. Her face too is badly cut. She was standing in front of a window and got it in bad shape. We haven’t seen any Phillip’s yet. They are all alive. I really can’t tell you any details. Annie was ‘phoning us and she has written you so you probably know now. Mrs Phillips has a very bad eye and I think it had to be removed. Albert and Uncle Andrew have been in. Glass was broken and a flower stand blown over at Uncle A’s. Grandmother doesn’t remember from one day to another what has happened. If we can and weather permits we may go up for Xmas but it depends on the lawyers and whether they need our signatures. The McDonalds are all well and no injuries. The Birnstones are all alive. Old Mr Dibbon is alive but Winnie and the children are gone. Winnie’s husband was in Dartmouth at the time. Flossie (Mosher) Towsend was killed. Grace Giffin escaped. She was blown through the roof and somehow landed alive and found Flossies [sic] baby. Stanley was out of time and Frank Towsend is wounded badly but will live. Emma (Knight) Howley her husband and little girl, and Minnie Knight all killed. Young John Hills, (Jessie will remember the cute little Ruth Hills and Margaret Hills.) he, his wife and three children all killed. Poor Arthur Hawkins was in Orrs (next to Mumfords store) and they can get no trace of him. Mr & Mrs Isaac Creighton, Belle Tummonds who married Camin Creighton and Gertie Tummonds, all have been killed. Dearie me, I could go on and on but I must not. Miss England is fine. We saw her this afternoon at Morton’s. She is writing or has written to Alberta. The loss of sight has been terrible. Between 200 & 250 totally blind. An equal number have lost one eye. Mr Rod McDonald has lost one eye.

You might tell Mamie, Alberta, Harold or anyone who asks after us. We are well now and won’t have a scar. Bid may have a pick on her nose.

We all are still dazed over it all and can talk of nothing else. You may see us when we get things settled for we can never stay in Halifax. We have no plans as yet.

Ethel.

ETHEL BOND 5 Ws

THINKLIKEAHISTORIAN.CA

Use this worksheet to support the ‘5Ws’ exercise in Activity 4 of Think Like a Historian: The Halifax Explosion Education Guide .

WHO?

Who wrote the letter? To whom was it written?

WHEN? AND WHERE?

When and where was the letter written?

WHAT?

What is the letter about?

WHY?

Why was the letter written?

What further questions do you have?

ETHEL BOND Annotated Letter

THINKLIKEAHISTORIAN.CA

Use this worksheet to support Activity 4 of Think Like a Historian: The Halifax Explosion Education Guide.

298 South Street 1 Halifax, N.S. Dec. 16th 1917 2 Dear Uncle Murray , 3

1. The South Street address served as Ethel’s temporary home after the explosion, as she notes later in the letter. 2. Ethel Bond is writing 10 days after the Explosion. 3. Ethel is writing to her uncle, Murray Kellough (1874–1965), who grew up near Halifax but was living in Winnipeg in 1917. Murray was 14 years older than Ethel. 4. Letters were an important means of conveying immediate, first-hand experience in the wake of the disaster. The wording implies that Ethel expected Uncle Murray to have heard general news of the Explosion through the press or from others. Ten days after the Explosion, news had travelled across Canada. 5. This suggests Ethel’s emotions were making it a struggle to recall the traumatic event and think through the events in detail. 6. We can infer that a telegram was sent to alert distant family and friends of who had survived and who had died in the Explosion. 7. We can infer that Ethel believed that she and her sister were lucky to walk away relatively unscathed, compared with the thousands who lost their lives or were seriously wounded. 8. We can infer from this that Ethel is reassuring herself and her uncle that her father died instantly, and that he is free from the suffering they are now going through. 9. Family members used nicknames for one another as a short-form and a term of endearment. 10. The morning of 6 December began as any other, with breakfast and family prayer. 11. A phrase used at the time to describe thinking that you were about to die. When Ethel was initially knocked down, she thought she was going to die. 12. Ethel draws a visual contrast between light and dark. 13. The magazine was a military arsenal for weapons and explosives at the Wellington Barracks, only two blocks from Kaye Street, where the Bonds lived. Bold passages indicate annotations for context . Underlined passages indicate annotations for inference .

Little I thought when I wrote a couple of weeks ago, that I’d be writing now under such altered circumstances. I know you are all very anxious to get some first hand, definite news 4 from us and I’m going to try to let you know just all about things. It is very hard to write about it all 5 and yet the later one leaves writing the harder it is to get at it. You have bye[sic] this time got the wire 6 Jean sent and also her letter so you know that the worst has happened to us. But really Uncle Murray when we see the suffering and agony of people and how one person after another has been cut up beyond recognition, lived awhile and then died, why we have a very great deal to be thankful for. 7 Daddy, while he was killed and we simply do not know where to turn, is free from all this pain and suffering and he never knew what happened to him. 8 The morning of the disaster Bid [nickname for sister Bertha] 9 was late getting up and Daddy and I had had our breakfast and family prayer. 10 Miss Newcombe was coming to sew and I was in a hustle, so when we came out into the kitchen Daddy picked up our sugar tin from the pantry floor and went to the mill to fill it. I went to the front door to get the morning paper and had merely reached the door when I was knocked down, stunned. Things kept coming on me and I got a bang in my chin and I really thought that it was all up with me. 11 Everywhere it was pitch black and coming as it did out of a clear beautiful morning. 12 I immediately thought the magazine in Wellington 13 had blown up. The first thing I remember is scrambling up out from under things and climbing up the remains of the stairway to Bertha. She was standing in the upper hall just by the sky-light, dark closet door and blood seemed dripping from everywhere. She had been in the bathroom and was blown from the toilet clean out into the hall and I think her cuts were from the glass on that big picture hanging there. Her left leg up above the knee was cut in a number of places. Her face seemed all cut and she had two teeth knocked off. You see she only had her underclothes on so she was pretty well exposed.