First World War (1914-1918)
The Halifax Explosion

In December 1917, a collision between the relief ship SS Imo and the munitions ship SS Mont Blanc in the port of Halifax led to a massive explosion that devastated the harbour and the city, killing thousands.

Captain Edward H. Martin

Captain Edward H. Martin was the superintendent of the dockyard at Halifax at the time of the explosion.

After 36 years in Britain's Royal Navy, Martin retired in 1909, joined Canada's newly created navy the following year, and assumed responsibility for the dockyard's operations and for the port's naval defence. Although he was on a mission in England at the time of the Halifax explosion, a subsequent enquiry raised the question of Martin's role in the disaster, including his apparent reluctance to address problems with the control of shipping in the harbour.

CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum